The Leviathan of Fairy Tail
by dragomaster312
Summary: Sadness and grief is like the ocean. It's calm and other times it's crashes violently. The only thing you can do to overcome it, is to swim. A boy named Willy goes through life with it's many ups and downs. Will he sink in the despair? Or will he be able to overcome it and swim? I do not own Fairy Tail. Willy by is owned by me. Any comments/reviews appreciated. OC x Canon in later.
1. Chapter 1 A Night of Loss

_Okay! This will be the first fanfiction I've ever written on here. I first want to thank jacques0 for being my inspiration into making this fanfiction and for creating the fanfiction Child of Heaven. I also want to say that I might be a little green when it comes to writing fanfictions, but I'm getting better everyday. Any Reviews, Favorites, and Follows would really be awesome! Anyway, let's get this show on the road!_

 _Fairy Tail is owned by Hiro Mashima._

 _My OC character Willy is owned by me, so DO NOT STEAL IT!_

 _Other than that, enjoy and hope you like it!_

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Chapter 1

A Night Of Loss

My story begins in the land of Fiore. Quite a long time ago. Yet so much stuff has happened since then, it seemed like forever. It all began back where I grew up. I was born on January 17th, 766, into a nice family. My Papa and my Mama loved me very much and I loved them back. We did a lot of things together, just like any other normal family. But the one thing that really made me feel like my family was special was swimming. My father and my mom taught me everything they knew and I soon became the best swimmer in the village. They were happy times and I felt like the happy times could last forever.

Sadly, it was not to be. It all began on a day that changed my life forever, in the year of X771 when I was 5 years old. A day that was filled with sorrow, pain and most of all loss. My name is Willy Falconer and this is my story. I was in bed sleeping peacefully, when I heard the sound of someone yelling. Upon hearing the noise, I sat up and rubbed the sleepiness out of my eyes wondering what was going on. Then a few moments later my Mama came into the room.

"Willy? Get up. Hurry son!" she spoke urgently.

"What's wrong Mama?" I asked her.

"There's no time to explain. We have to go. Now."

I was still feeling confused as to what was going on, but I listened to my quietly tip-toed to the back so we wouldn't make any noise. After the coast was clear, we managed to get out the back way of the house. When we got outside, a terrible sight made my eyes wide in fear. The whole village was ablaze with fire. Everyone was running around in a panic trying to escape. Then I saw something that made me feel scared. As we ran past the house, I saw my father standing in front of three men. They looked scary and they had weapons. I tried calling out to him, but my mom quickly pulled me along before I had a chance.

"Mama! What about Papa? He's..."

"Don't worry about your father. He'll be fine. We have to run!"

"But Mama..."

Before I could say anything more, my Mama quickly took me into her arms and ran as fast as she could. As she ran, I clung to her desperate for her not to drop me. I also couldn't help but look around at my surroundings. There were people running around everywhere trying to avoid being killed. Then I saw someone try to run. He was running as fast as he could, but then a man wearing a purple cloak with a mask that had a weird symbol came out of nowhere and stabbed him in the chest. I immediately buried my face into my Mama's shoulder not wanting to see anymore and feeling scared out of my wit. Then suddenly my Mama bumped into somebody, knocking them down to ground. It was one of the soldiers that were attacking the village. As soon as he saw my Mama and me, he began to chase us.

"Hey! We got a runner! She's getting away with a boy! After her!"

I held on to my mom tighter and she ran with everything she had. Eventually, she stopped and took a breather and set me down. I was so scared that I was on the brink of crying. I had a million thoughts going through my mind trying to comprehend what was happening.

"Mama. What's going on? Why are those people hurting our village? And where's Papa?

My mother didn't say anything. Then she kneeled down and spoke to me with her eyes filled with tears.

"Willy... I don't know what's going on. And about your father, he's..." my Mama began to say, but then she grabbed me and covered my mouth. I didn't know why she was doing this, but then I heard the sound of footsteps. From the sound of it, they were close. I was feeling more scared then I ever was before. Then my mom whispered to me again while pointing to a hole in the tree.

"Willy. Get in here okay?"

"But Mama why...?"

"Please Willy. Just do it for Mama. Okay?"

I was scared and hesitant, but I did as my Mama told me. I was expecting her to hide with me, but she didn't.

"Mama. Aren't you gonna hide here with me?"

"I...I can't sweetie. Listen. I need you to stay here."

My eyes widened hearing what my Mama said. Stay here? Without her? There was no way I could do that. It was bad enough that Papa wasn't here, but now my Mama was going to go away too.

"But Mama... what about you?! I don't want to let the bad men get me! Don't leave me!"

"Don't worry. I'll lead those bad men away from you so they don't hurt you okay? Stay quiet and don't make a sound until I say it's safe," she told me.

"Mama...!"

Tears were now falling down my face as my body trembled with my sobs. I didn't want my Mama to leave. Not right now. Then my Mama wrapped her arms around my body and I noticed that she was crying too. She also gave me a kiss on my forehead.

"It's okay Willy. It'll be okay. Listen. I just wanna let you know, that I love you and I'll always will.

"Mama..."

Before I could say anything more, my Mama gave me one more hug. That was the last hug I ever received from her. Then she took a couple of dead bushes and put them around the hole of the tree so they wouldn't find me. Then my Mama left leaving me all alone. I watched as she got the soldiers attention and lead them away from me. I stayed inside the tree waiting for my Mama to tell me when it was safe to come out. I was about to come out, but I could still hear the soldiers looking, so I stayed hidden.

I waited and I waited and I waited. After waiting for a long time, I noticed some light shining through the bushes. I thought it was the soldiers, but then I realized that it was sunlight. Somehow I managed to stay up all night. I peeked out from my hiding place and looked around. There was nothing, but trees all around. It was also very quiet. Too quiet. I was a little scared with all the quiet, but I quickly put it out of my mind. I had to find my Mama.

"Mama! Mama! Where are you?! Mama!"

I called out to my Mama trying to find her, but I couldn't find her. Then after a few feet of walking, I saw her. There she was laying by a tree. I was overjoyed to see her alive. I ran toward her eager to see her again, but then as I grew closer I realized something was wrong. My Mama wasn't moving.

"Mama? Mama? Wake up. Please wake up."

I went up to her and gently shook her trying to wake her up. She didn't move. Then I felt something warm in my hand. When I looked at it, my face froze in horror. My hand was covered in the last thing I wanted to see. Blood. I instinctively stepped back in fear. I didn't want to believe it. I couldn't believe it. I refused to believe it. So I went to get help back at the village. I knew that the village was in bad shape, but there had to at least be some survivors. Someone had to have survived in the village right? Unfortunately I couldn't have been more wrong. When I got to the village, I was horrified to see that the whole village was gone. Everything was reduced to rubble and ash. There wasn't a soul to be heard. I couldn't even see any people or any living thing in there.

"No... No... Hello! Somebody! Anyone!"

I cried out hoping someone would hear me, but sadly no one answered. I sank to my knees not believing what I was seeing. I wished that it was all a bad dream and I wanted to wake up. Unfortunately, it was not a dream. It was reality. I turned my back on my village and left not wanting to be there any more. I didn't know why or how, but I instinctively went back to my Mama's body. She seemed so peaceful lying by the tree. One would assume that she was fast asleep. In a way she was, but sadly it was a sleep that she won't be waking up from.

I walked over to her body, buried my face in her lap, and cried. I knew that she was dead, but I just couldn't help it. I lost everything. My entire village was destroyed in one night and I was the only survivor. I was practically all alone. Eventually when I couldn't cry anymore, I knew I had to leave. I couldn't stay there any longer. If I did, it would just break my heart even more. I got up and wiped away most of my tears ans started to walked away. I took one last look at my Mama. Then I left never to step foot in my village again.

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NO POV

A few minutes after Willy had left the village, a squad of soldiers approached the village. But they weren't like the soldiers from before. They all wore white robes along with blue cloths with an ankh like symbol on it. They were soldiers known as The Rune Knights. They served as a kind of military that worked for The Magic Council. They enforce their ideals of justice and investigate crimes related to the Magic world. They were here to investigate the kidnappings and the killings of villages. When they arrived, they were welcomed by a terrible sight.

"Damn it. We were too late." one soldier said.

"Another village completely wiped out. Just like all the others." said another.

"Have we arrived too late then?" said a voice.

The Rune Knights turned as an old man stepped out from the group. He was tall, gray-haired, and had a long beard and mustache. This man was Org, one of the members of the magic council.

"I'm afraid so sir. The village has been completely wiped out," said the first knight.

"And all the adults were slaughtered and all the children kidnapped," said the second.

"Who could do this? Killing innocent people and kidnapping children?" said Org his fists tightening in anger. "Are there any survivors?"

"Not from what I can tell by looking. We were just about to search the village for any clues."

"See that you do," said Orc. "If you find anything, please let me know."

The Rune Knights spread out leaving Org by himself. He walked around the village taking in all the destruction that had just occurred the other night. The mere sight of it made his blood boil and at the same time feel pity for the people that lived here.

"So many lives were lost. And as usual there's not a single child to be found. Just like with all the other towns and villages. Who could be doing this and why are they taking children?"

Then a Rune Knight came up to Org disturbing his train of thought.

"Sir! We found a house near the edge of the village! It seems to be the only one that has suffered minimal damage."

"Have there been any bodies found there?"

"Yes. Two males sir."

"I see. Take me to the house. We must look for any clues we can find as to who did this."

"Yes sir."

Soon Org was standing in front of a certain house. The house was pretty much intact, other than a broken door. The bodies that were found were covered in tarps. Org didn't want to see them any more than he had to, so he moved on to inside the house. Inside everything was a mess. Debris, glass, and other things lay everywhere. The Rune Knights were searching the house trying to find anything they can use as a clue. Org walked in about to help the Rune Knights search, when he felt something crunch under his foot. He noticed that he had stepped on something. He picked it up and looked at it. It was a picture of a young man with light tan skin with short black hair, a woman with white skin with long black hair, and a small young boy who looked to be about 3 years old. When Org saw the photo, he couldn't help but feel sadness and pity. The family seemed so happy in the photo. Then another Rune Knight came into the room.

"Sir. We found another body in the forest on the other side of the village. One female. Also we found some footprints by the body. We believe they belong to a child."

"A child?"

Org looked at The Rune Knight in surprise.

"Take me there. I want to see this for myself."

"Yes sir."

Org walked out of the house and went with the Rune Knight. As he walked out, he caught of glimpse of one of the male bodies. It was a quick look, but he saw who it was. It was the man from the photo he found.

"No doubt about it. Just like the photo."

"Sir? Is there something wrong?"

"It's nothing."

Moments later, Org was standing in front of the body that was lying against the tree in the forest. A couple of the Knights were searching the area around the body and inspecting the footprints. Org recognized the body of the woman as well.

"This woman. She must have been the wife of the man in front of the house," he thought.

"How long have the footprints been here?" asked Org.

"I say they were made this morning. Based the footprints, I say this woman was a mom protecting her kid. She hid the kid in this tree and then whoever attacked the village killed the woman. Which would mean..."

Suddenly the woman began to stir and then she opened her eyes.

"Sir! She's... she's still alive!"

"What?! Get the medics now! We need to help her!" said Org urgently.

"Yes sir!"

Org immediately went to the woman's side while the solders went for help.

"Ma'am. Can you hear me?" asked Org holding her hand.

"Please... please help me..." the woman said weakly.

"Don't try to talk. Save your strength," said Org. "The medical team is on the way. You're going to be fine."

The woman looked at Org and weakly shook her head.

"No... It's too late... I already know I'm done for. Listen, I need... you to help me... You need... to find my son... he's... all alone... Please... find him... and protect him..."

Org stared at the woman, then he nodded.

"Very well. As a member of the magic council, I won't rest till I find your son."

The woman smiled as tears began streaming her pale cheeks.

"Thank you... thank you... and... when you find him... please tell him... that his mother... will always...love him..."

After that, the hand that Org was holding went limp and the woman's blue eyes slowly closed for the final time. She was gone. Then the soldiers came back with medics.

"Sir we brought the..."

"It's too late," Org said. "She's gone."

"Damn it," said the medic. "I'm sorry sir. If we arrived a lot sooner..."

"Don't blame yourselves," said Org standing up. "She probably would have died either way."

Org closed his eyes and burned what the woman said to him into his memory.

"I never thought it was possible," he whispered. "but now I'm sure. There's someone who survived. A young boy no less."

"Are you sure there was no one else that could have possibly have been here?" he said to the soldier behind him.

"I don't know," said the knight. "It is possible though. There's footprints by the body and we found tears on the dress of the woman. We're taking samples just in case."

Then he pulled out the photo and looked at it. Two of the people of the photo were found dead. The only one that hadn't been found yet was the child. Org couldn't believe it, but it was possible. A child had survived the onslaught of the village and he was all alone without anyone to take care of him.

"As soon as you're done here, make sure all the bodies here get proper burials. After we're done here, we're heading back. And I'm calling for a search for a missing child."

"But sir, we don't know what the child looks like let alone where he or she is."

"Don't worry. Leave that part to me. For now, focus on your orders. I'm heading back to the council."

"Yes sir."

And with that Org left the Rune Knights to their work while he went by himself. He pulled out the photo he found and looked at it. Then he looked up at the sky. The wind blew at his beard making it fly in the wind. Then his form disappeared.

* * *

 _Not too shabby if I do say so myself._

 _I must admit that even I felt sad writing this first chapter, but hey almost every Fairy Tail character started out with sad origins so it works._

 _Hope you enjoyed the chapter and look forward to the next one!_


	2. Chapter 2 A Chance Rescue

Chapter 2

A Chance Rescue

A few hours later...

It's been a couple of hours since I left the village. I don't even remember how long I've been walking. Personally I didn't even care. I was still feeling the shock and depression of losing my Mama and my Papa. Not to mention I didn't have a home anymore, so it wasn't like I had anywhere to go. I just walked. As I walked, I thought about all the good times I had in my village.

I could well remember going shopping with my Mama. I would help her get the stuff we needed for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. She would also read me stories about different wizards and heroes that would fight for justice and protecting their friends or families.

Then I thought about my father. I remember how he taught me how to swim and he and I would fish together. I would have a great time helping him fish and improve my swimming skills. I remember how much fun I had playing in the water. I would play with the creatures I met and I would explore the waters finding many different things. I was so happy back then. It was hard to believe that all those happy times suddenly came to an end. Now I would never see my Mama or my Papa ever again.

My eyes began to water with tears and once more began falling on my face. I missed my Mama and my Papa terribly. I wanted them to be here with me. I wanted to see their faces and tell me that everything will be okay. Sadly, it would never happen. Then I tripped over something, snapping me out of my train of thought. I winced in pain, I turned to what tripped me which turned out to be a tree root.

"Owie! Stupid, dumb root." I mumbled.

I pulled myself up and I continued to walk through the forest trying to forget about the thoughts that were going through my mind. One thing was for sure, I had to find some civilization soon, otherwise I wouldn't survive. Then after walking through the forest that seemed like forever, I noticed that the sun began to set which meant that it was gonna be dark soon. I decided to take a break after all the walking and at least try to get some sleep. So I looked around trying to find a place to sleep. I found a small flat area by a tree. It wasn't anything like a bed, but it would have to do.

I lied down on the ground on my side while closing my eyes and tried to sleep. But I couldn't sleep. I still had my parents in my thoughts. I could feel my eyes watering with tears again. I felt so scared being all alone like this. All alone without a roof over my head, without a bed, and without anyone to be there for me when I wake up. How was I gonna survive? And when would I find somewhere to live or find someone who could help me? It felt like some kind of nightmare that I needed to wake up from. I looked up at the sky which was now black with night and filled with bright stars. As much I wanted to have these questions answered, I felt to tired and depressed to even think. Eventually, my eyes slowly closed and I fell asleep.

The next day, I woke up to the sound of birds chirping. To another person, the sun shining and the birds chirping meant the start of a brandday. Sadly for me, it would be another day of walking, trying to survive being alone. I got up and looked around seeing nothing, but trees. Still feeling depressed and alone, I started walking again. It didn't matter where I was going, I just wanted to get out of the forest as soon as I could.

I walked past trees, trees, and more trees, wondering aimlessly in depression. As I walked through the forest, I saw some animals with their babies. Some were single parents and some were couples. I couldn't help, but envy them. It made me feel even more depressed with everything that has happened. It made me walk a little faster, not wanting to see a constant reminder of how alone I was. I could also feel my eyes water again, but I pressed on.

Eventually I came close to the edge of the forest. I was now looking at some kind of a rocky wasteland. From where I was standing, I was on a cliff that led to a plain filled with rocks and boulders. It wasn't too high, but it was a steep slope. I walked along the edge to trying to find someway down, or at least a safe way down. My eyes were still filled with tears from my crying, so they made my eyes itch a little. I rubbed them to get them out of my eyes which made me a little unaware of where I was looking.

Suddenly, I felt the ground give away underneath my foot. Next thing I knew, I was falling down the cliff. I rolled and tumbled down feeling pain rock my body everywhere. Then I rolled to the bottom of the slope and came to stop by slamming into a small hill, hard. I gasped as I felt the wind getting knocked out of me. I struggled as I tried to get up, but I was still hurting and dazed from the impact.

Suddenly I felt the hill move underneath me and I heard a groan. Then the hill started to rise up with me on top of it. I immediately jumped out off it and rolled to the side. I looked up to see that the hill that I landed on wasn't a hill at all. It was a large beast like creature that was large, walked with four legs, and about 10 feet tall. It also had big paws that had large nails at the end and jagged teeth that could pierce my flesh to my bones in a few seconds. The one thing that really made me scared, was it's red eyes that burned in anger.

One thing was for sure, the creature was not happy. I would assume that it was mad that I accidentally woke it up from it's nap. The creature growled at me, making my blood go cold in fear. It slowly began to prowl towards me, eager to have me for lunch. I backed away from it slowly not daring to make any sudden movements. Then to make matters worse, I found my back up against a rock making me trapped like a rat. The creature came closer and closer. If I didn't do something soon, I was gonna be mincemeat.

The creature leaped and gunned straight for me with it's claws raised and it's teeth bared. With reflexes I didn't know I had, I immediately jumped out of the way making the creature smack it's face on the rock. Then I immediately broke into a run, running as fast as my little feet could carry me. I had to get away before the creature had a chance to recover. The creature managed to get back up and saw me running for my life. It started chasing after me, not wanting his prey to get away. I could it's footsteps right behind me, but I kept on running. I zig-zagged past boulders and around corners hoping to give it the slip, but all I did was slow it down a little. My legs felt weak and they felt like they were gonna give, but I kept on running.

Then there was trouble. Out all the things that could make things worse for me, this happened. I tripped. I tripped on of all things a rock, making me fall flat on the ground. Before I could try to get up again, the creature pounced and pinned me to the ground with it's big paws. I was now totally scared out of my wits. I screamed in fear and it pain. I kicked and I struggled trying to break free from it's grip, but the creature was too heavy. The creature looked at me with it's eyes shining in victory.

"HELP! SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME!"

I screamed, but sadly no one could hear me. The creature began to drool getting it's saliva all over me, eager to have me for it's lunch. I fought with all my strength and I screamed even more, but it was futile. The creature opened his mouth really to ready to go for the kill. I closed my eyes and looked away not wanting to see the creature's face before I died.

I waited for the creature to make it's move to bite my face off, or probably bite my neck but then, a giant thundering noise shook the whole area like a meteor hitting the earth. Then everything was quiet. Not even the creature made no noise after the sudden quake. I carefully opened one eye to see that the creature was frozen for some reason. I couldn't see what it was looking at due to it's large body, but I can tell that for some reason that the creature was frozen in fear like a I was a few moments ago. Then suddenly it immediately got off of me and ran for the hills with it's tail between it's legs. I watched as the creature ran off into the distance out of sight.

"It... it ran away? From what?"

I would soon get an answer for my question, for right there and then, a shadow cast over me. I instinctively gulped as I felt the fear in my body once again. My body began to tremble like a leaf and I felt a cold sweat on my back. I slowly turned around and I saw why the creature ran away. When I saw what it was, my eyes went big as saucers and my jaw dropped.

It was big, tall, lizard like and it's entire body was covered with blue scales. It had four legs with black claws that were webbed between the toes and a pair of giant wings. It's head was round with a pair of horns on top of its head with a small black sail running along it's spine all the way to it's tail. The thing that made my heart stop was that it had a pair of golden eyes with slit down the middle staring right at me. I didn't think I would have believed it, if i had seen it with my own eyes. My Mama and Papa have read me stories about them, but I didn't think they actually existed.

I was looking at... a dragon.

 _Oh boy. A dragon saves Willy at the last moment! Wonder what'll happen next?_

 _Stay tuned!_

 _Next Time: Chapter 3 Aquadia_


	3. Chapter 3 Aquadia

_Hello everyone! Here is my next chapter for my fic!_

 _Happy reading!_

Chapter 3

Aquadia

I don't what happened after that, but when I came to, I was lying on the ground staring up at a rocky ceiling with stalactites. There was also sunlight coming from a big hole on the ceiling. From the looks of things, I was inside of a cave. I sat up and looked around trying to figure out where I was and how I got here, but nothing really came to mind.

Then it slowly started to come back to me. I was attacked by that creature from before and it was about to kill me. Then the creature ran away and then I saw a dragon. A dragon?

"There's no way... I couldn't have seen a dragon...could I?" I thought.

I've heard tales about dragons, but all the people say that they were just a myth. It was possible that I could have dreampt being attacked by that creature and being saved by that dragon. Then again, I didn't dream about everything else. I pinched myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming. It hurt so I wasn't dreaming.

Then I heard the sound of flapping wings. There were coming closer and closer to where I was. I instinctively got scared and hid behind a couple of rocks. Then a gust of wind blew through the caves. After that I heard a loud thump that shook the entire cave and after a while the shaking stopped. I nervously peeped out from behind the rock and I saw it.

There it was. The same blue dragon I saw that saved me from that creature before. A real live dragon.

"So... I just wasn't dreaming. The dragon that saved me... was real."

The dragon had touched down in the cave went to the far corner of the cave, carrying a large fish in it's mouth. It set the fish on the ground and grabbed a large stick. It seemed to be doing something. I tried to get a look at what it was doing, but I couldn't tell.

The dragon took the stick and put it through the fish. Then the dragon to the stick next to the pile of sticks. From the looks of things, the dragon seemed to be getting ready to cook the fish over a fire. The dragon took two big boulders and began rubbing them together trying to make a spark to make the fire. It took a few tries, but it managed to get the fire going.

This surprised me. I never thought a dragon would be smart enough to build a fire. To be honest from what my Mama told me in books she read for bedtime stories, the dragons in the stories were violent, scary, and breathe fire. This one was nothing the like those dragons. It was smarter and different from the others.

Suddenly the dragon looked around back and forth and started looking for something. It sniffed around trying to find whatever it was looking for. At first, I couldn't figure out what it was looking for, but then it came to where I was laying on a few minutes ago. Then I realized it was looking for me and I could think of one reason why. To have me for breakfast.

"That must have been why it saved me," I thought. " It didn't want that other creature to get me first she could have me for breakfast!"

The mere thought of it made me tremble. I think I would have preferred the creature from before. I hadt to get out here before that dragon had a chance to find me. I looked around trying to find a possible escape route. I couldn't get out through the roof because it was too high and there weren't any other openings inside from what I could tell.

Then I saw my escape route. There was an opening on the other side of the cave on my left. If I played my cards right, I should be able to sneak past the dragon and get out of there before it had a chance to find me. I waited till the dragon had it's back turned and then while hiding behind the rocks, I quietly tip-toed towards the entrance to the cave. The dragon was still searching as I quietly made my way towards the entrance of the cave.

Little by little, feet by feet, the entrance of the cave grew closer and closer and it seemed that I was gonna make it. Then as I went past a boulder, a little piece of the rock I passed fell. When it hit the ground, the sound echoed around the cave. To make things worse, the dragon heard it and looked towards my direction. I quickly hid behind the boulder and covered my mouth so I wouldn't make any noise. My heart was beating like a jackhammer and was so loud, anyone could have heard it.

I felt the dragon's footsteps coming towards me. I stayed hiding behind the rock trembling like a leaf, praying that the dragon wouldn't find me. I tried to move, but I was to frozen in fear to do much of anything. Then a shadow crossed over me and the rock I was hiding behind was suddenly lifted from behind me. Right then and there, I bolted. I ran out from my hiding place and headed towards the entrance if the cave with every ounce of energy I had. If could just make it outside the cave, I'd could at least find cover and lose the dragon.

Suddenly I felt something grab by shirt by the back and then I was lifted into the air. Next thing I knew, I was in front of the dragon's face with it holding be by the shirt. It stared at me with it's big golden that seemed to be searching through my soul. I struggled and trashed and tried to get free, but it was no use. I was caught. I had no way out and there was nothing I could do.

"No! Please! Don't eat me Mr. Dragon! I don't want to be eaten!" I cried.

The dragon stared at me. Then to my shock and surprise, it spoke with a feminine English voice.

"Hey! That's Miss Dragon to you!"

I immediately stopped struggling and just stared blankly at the dragon. I couldn't believe my ears.

"You... you can talk?"

"Of course I can," she replied. "I swear. You humans are always so shocked over the littlest things. Hahaha. Not to mention you always assume the worst and are easily frightened by the smallest of things. You practically fainted when I saved you from that beast after all."

"I... I... fainted?" I asked a little surprised as to what she was telling me.

" Yes. You poor dear. The moment you saw me, you went and fainted on me. I felt terribly bad for giving you such a scare, so I carried you were back in my cave to make sure you were alright. And don't worry, I'm not going to eat you."

"R-really?"

" Of course. Personally, I'd rather eat fish. It's good for the brain you know. In fact, I was just about to help myself to some of the fish I just caught. Would you care to join me? You must be starving."

At first I was gonna decline because I still felt a little uneasy, but then my stomach started rumbling over the mention of food. It has been a while since I last ate, so I guess some food couldn't hurt.

"Um...OK... I guess I am a little hungry."

"Splendid!"

The dragon carried me over to where the fish was being cooked and gently set me down. Then she sat next to me. As we both waited for the fish to cook, I couldn't help but stare at her. It almost was like a dream, but this dream was real. I was sitting next to a real live dragon. A friendly and talking one at that. I was still feeling a little scared, but at the same time, I felt awed and curious by the sight of her. The dragon happened to notice me staring at her and she smiled.

"Is there something wrong?" she asked

"No. Nothing. It's just that... are you really a dragon?" I asked.

"Of course my dear," she chuckled. "I'm as real as real can get."

" So... do you breathe fire and all that stuff?"

"Oh heavens no. That's more of my friend Igneel's specialty. He is a fire dragon after all." she replied.

" Fire dragon? You mean... there's other dragons besides you?" I wondered.

" Yes. Although that was a long time ago," she said. " You certainly are a curious little boy aren't you?"

"Sorry. It's just... I've always been told that dragons were a myth. I never thought I'd get to meet one. A talking one at that." I said with a sight blush on my face.

The dragon smiled.

"Well, I've never expected to be talking with a human either. I guess that makes us even," she smiled.

Then she took a look at the fish and inspected it. She looked at it every which away to make sure that it was done cooking.

"Hmm. It looks like it's ready." she mumbled. "Now then, let's eat shall we?"

"Sure."

A few minutes later, I helped myself to the fish that the dragon cooked for me. It looked a little weird at first, but after taking a bite, I couldn't help but eat to my hearts content. It was like I was tasting food for the first time ever. It was so good! I've eaten fish like this before, but nothing like this. Soon my belly was full and my hunger was nothing more but a distant memory.

"(sigh) That was good."

"Have you had your fill?" she asked me happy that I was able to eat something.

"Yes. I have. Thank you for the food Ms. Dragon."

"My pleasure. You must not have eaten in days. I've never seen a human eat that much before."

"Yeah. I guess I was."

"I also take it that you really like fish?"

"Oh yes! My Mama and Papa sometimes make fish for dinner. Fish is my favorite food."

" I see," the dragon replied. "Say, since you've asked me a lot of questions, mind if I ask you one?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"Well for starters, what's a young boy like yourself doing out here all alone? Don't you have any family around?"

My eyes widened a little at the dragons question. Then my memories of my parents flashed in my mind. Then the memories of what happened to them and my village came too. Just remembering them made me feel depressed again. It made me miss them terribly again and it made my heart ache with sadness. I didn't realize it at the time, but tears once again began to stream down my face. Then, the dragon's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Hey. Are you all right little one? You're crying."

I looked up at the dragon who now looked at me with a look of concern on her face. I didn't know what to say to her. All I could do was look at her with my tear stained eyes. The dragon and I stared at each other in silence. Finally the dragon used it's claw to gently wipe away my tears. which made me flinch a little. She looked at me and spoke kindly to me.

"There, there. It's okay. It would would seem that you went through a terrible ordeal. I don't know what happened nor do I could comprehend what you're going through, but I can at least try to lessen the pain."

At that moment, I broke down crying. I just cried and I cried and I cried. The dragon gently rubbed her snout against me in comfort and I hugged it while still crying. A few moments later after I calmed down a little, I told the dragon what had happened with my village and to my parents. As I told the story, the dragon sat there giving me her upmost attention.

"I see. So your parents as well as your whole village were all killed?" she asked me.

"Yes (sniff). It's... it's not fair. What have my parents done to die? (sniff) Why didn't I go with my Mama?! It's all my fault. (sob)"

"There, there now. It's not your fault little one. It's not anyone's fault," the dragon spoke gently. "You've never could have predicted that it was going to happen so please stop blaming yourself. Now, listen well little one."

I looked up at the dragon with tears running down my cheeks.

"I know that it's very painful to lose someone you care about, but it's all a part of the circle of life little one," she continued. "We may wish that we could stay with the people we care about forever, but not all of us are together in the end. I know this very well. I've lost vast amounts of my kind that were my friends as well."

"But... what should I do?" I sniffled. " I miss everyone so much."

"And I you'll always miss them, but there's one that you have to keep in mind. They may be gone, but they'll always be with you in your heart. I guess in a sense, you'll never be separated. For you are a part of each other."

The words that the dragon said to me slowly mended the pain in my heart. I still felt the pain, but I felt a little better. Then the dragon spoke to me again.

"Little one? Let me ask you something. Do you have a place to stay or to call home?"

"No."

"Well then, how about you stay here with me?"

My eyes snapped open upon hearing the dragon's request. Then I looked back up at the dragon you had a kind smile on her face.

"You... want me to stay here? With you?"

"Of course," she replied. "In fact, I can be your Mama if you wish. I've always wanted to raise a son of my own. Besides, I'd feel most terrible if I left a little boy like you all alone by yourself. Especially since you're in need of someone to take care of you."

I just stared at her dumbly like she said something completely outrageous.

"But... are you sure? I mean... are you sure you want someone like me? I mean... we just met and stuff."

"Of course I do. I always could use some company around here. We may have only just met, but I feel a special connection with us. I can't explain it, but... it's something special. I would be honored to being your Mama."

Once again, my eyes started welling up in tears and my heart began to ache. This time, they weren't tears of sorrow or aches of pain. They were feelings of something else. Happiness. As tears streamed down on my face, I couldn't help but smile.

"Thank you. Thank you. Please... let me stay with you."

"Then it's decided then."

The dragon grinned and nuzzled her snout up against me and I hugged her snout.

"Oh! That reminds me," the dragon suddenly replied. "Where are my manners? If I'm going to be your new Mama, I'm going to have to know my son's name. May I ask for your name little one?"

"My name is Willy. Willy Falconer, Ms Dragon.

"Willy Falconer? What a unique name you have. Well then Willy, from this moment on, as of now, you are now the son of the water dragon, Aqaudia.

 _Aquadia is now Willy's new Mama. Where Willy's new life with his mother take him?  
_

 _Stay tuned for Chapter 4 A Warm Feeling  
_


	4. Chapter 4 A Warm Feeling

_Hey there everyone! Here is the next chapter with my OC from Fairy Tail, Willy. Willy's even here with me to help me open the chapter. He also has something to say to all you watchers._

 _(Willy shyly peeps out from behind me)_

 _Me: Go on. Say hello Willy. It's OK._

 _(He comes out from behind me and begins trembling nervously.)_

 _Willy: Um... hello. It's nice... to meet you all. I hope... that you like this newest chapter... and I hope you like it! (bows and hides behind me again) Was... was that good?_

 _Me: That was very good Willy. Great job._

 _Willy: Th-thank you very much sir._

 _Me: Well then, hope you enjoy the chapter. Oh! And if you like Willy, feel free to leave a comment! Till then, on with the chapter!_

* * *

Chapter 4

A Warm Feeling

Ever since that day when I first met Aquadia, my life finally started turning in the opposite direction for the good. It took a while, but I got used to living with her. She may have been a dragon, but she was kind and very sweet just like any other Mom. She made sure I was well fed, well taken care of, and she also taught me how to be kind. She also taught me how to read a little and also how to fish even better. Yep, Aquadia was the best mom I ever had, even though she adopted me.

One thing was for sure, sleeping in a cave took some time getting used to. It was hard sleeping on the floor, but eventually I ended up sleeping with Aquadia. Sometimes I would sleep on her back, other times on her wing, but my favorite place to sleep was on top of her head. I didn't know why, but it felt really comfy sleeping on her head. It made me feel safe.

The cave we lived in was close the coast where I originally lived. Which meant that I could do what I always wanted to do ever since I was little. Swim. I was overjoyed to be close to the ocean since I was a swimmer and all. Aquadia knew this too. In fact, whenever she would go out to get fish for food, she would bring me along and help her fish. At first, I felt a little awkward since it had been a while since I swam and I usually swam with my parents, but eventually I opened up and enjoyed swimming, especially with her.

It had now been two years since I started living with Aquadia. I was now 7 years old. I was slightly taller than I was before and my hair was a little bit longer. My fishing skills had improved because I had been doing this for so long and I was sure that I was an even better swimmer than before.

I was standing on the rocks waiting my prey to come in sight. Then, I saw some movement in the water. I squinted my eyes to get a better look and I saw it. A great big fish was swimming right in front of me. It looked so big, that it would make a fine meal for the night. I waited for the fish to come closer, not daring to make a sound. Then just as the fish was close enough, I pounced and dove into the water! The surface of the water rippled as I doved into the water. Then there was silence. Then I popped out of the water holding the fish by the fin. It was a tough fight catching it, but I was victorious.

"Phew! This one out up a fight! But I managed to catch it! Wait, till Mama sees this!"

And so with my prize looped behind my back, I headed back to the cave eager to show my Mama. The fish was a little heavy, but it wasn't a problem for me. Over the years, I've gotten used to fishing for myself and carrying my own load. Usually my Mama did the fishing to provide me with food. But I learned to fend for myself.

Soon, I approached the cave where we lived. I ran towards the cave eager to show off my fish. But as I approached the cave, I heard my Mama talking.

"Oh my goodness, hahaha. That's Igneel for you. Always a stubborn one."

I also heard another voice. A voice that I never heard before.

"Hahaha. Yes. He's quite stubborn and a hot head to match."

Hearing the voices made me curious to who my Mama was talking to, so I walked in the cave. There was my Mama sitting in the middle of the cave, talking to what looked like a giant ball of green light right in front of her, and somehow the ball of green light was talking to her.

"Mama? Who are you talking to?" I called out.

"Oh! Willy! You're home," she said. "Come, come. There someone who I want you to meet."

I walked over to my Mama and the ball of light floated down until it was right in front of me.

"Is this the one that you were talking about Aquadia? The boy you found?" the ball of light asked.

"Yes he is. This is my dear son, Willy Falconer. Willy, I would like you to meet a very dear friend of mine, Grandeeney. She's another dragon just like me, although you can't really tell at the moment."

"Wow! Another dragon. Nice to meet you Ms. Grandeeney," I replied while politely bowing.

Grandeeney chuckled. "Such a polite young boy. Aquadia's told me a lot about you."

"She has?"

"Yes. She told me that you're a very nice young boy who loves to swim and a very adorable and handsome young man to boot."

I instinctively felt hot in the face and I could feel my face going red from Grandeeney's compliment.

"Th-thank you very much."

"Hahaha," chuckled Aquadia. "I told you he's adorable and he's a natural born swimmer and fisherman."

"Really?"

"Oh yeah," I joined in showing off the fish I caught. "Take a look at the fishy I caught. It was tough, but I managed to catch it."

"Wow. That's a pretty big fish you got there," said Grandeeney. "And you caught it all by yourself?"

"Yup," I said grinning with pride.

"Hahaha. That's my Willy," said Aquadia. "Hey. Why don't you put the fish aside and get it ready for your dinner tonight? Me and Grandeeney have something to talk about."

"Sure thing Mama."

I was a little puzzled about what she would want to talk about with Grandeeney, but I really didn't pay much attention. I did what I was told and carried my prize to be washed so I could eat it for dinner.

* * *

NO POV

Aquadia and Grandeeney watched as Willy carried his fish to get it ready for dinner. Then Granbdeeney spoke to Aqaudia.

"He certainly is everything you said he would be. Very kind and sweet."

"Of course," replied Aquadia. "After all, I raised him to be that way."

Grandeeney chuckled and she paused for a moment. Then she spoke again.

"So, how have you been holding up for these past few years? It's been a while since... you know."

"I know. You don't have to beat around the bush Grandeeney. I know you came here to talk to me about the you-know-what. After all it has been years since I last saw you."

"I assumed so. You know, it's been quite a while since I last saw you. I still can't believe that you managed to survive this long. It's quite a miracle actually." Grandeeney said.

Aquadia looked at her claw and clenched it.

"Maybe so, but that's only because of this power I have. It's only sheer luck that I have made it this far. Luck that's slowly starting to run out."

Grandeeney was silent then she spoke in a low voice so Willy couldn't hear them.

"You do realize that no one blames you know. It's couldn't have been your fault."

"I know," said Aquadia who for some reason was feeling a little sad. "But I still can't help but feel that it was my fault that things turned out the way they were. If I hadn't had gone and said what I did, none of this would be happening."

"Please stop blaming yourself," said Grandeeney. "You were just trying to do what was right. You could have never predicted that it would happen."

Aquadia hung her head and looked even more depressed than ever. Grandeeney floated in front of her.

"Listen, do you still believe what you told me back then? What you said about the humans?"

"Yes. I do. With all my heart," Aquadia replied.

"Then that's good enough," said Grandeeney. "I still believe what you said before and so does Igneel and all the other dragons that sided with us. And that's never going to change any time soon."

Aquadia looked at the ball of light and even though it was just a ball of light, she could swore that she could see Grandeeney smiling with a kind grin on her face. That made her feel much better.

"Grandeeney my friend. You always know just what to say don't you?"

"I've been told that,' she smiled. "But other times, I've been known as a smart aleck."

"That's only because you liked to poke at people's personal weak spots," she laughed.

"So in any case, have you decided on him?"

"Yes. Well, I'll have to think about it. I'm still not very sure," she replied.

"In my opinion, I think he would be perfect. In a way he's just like you. If I had anyone to choose, I would choose him."

"That may be so, but that's up to him," said Aquadia. "I'll let him decide if he wants to or not."

"Very well," said Grandeeney. "Be sure to keep me posted then. I'll contact you a little later and check on you. Until then, I'll see you later and don't forget about that date. There's not much time."

"I know," said Aquadia. "I won't forget. Take care my friend. Till we meet again."

And with that, the ball of light floated away leaving Aquadia alone. She looked up at the ceiling of her cave deep in thought. Then she muttered to herself.

"It's currently the year 773," she thought. "Willy's been living with me for two years now and he's seven years old. Should he be the one? Hmm."

She crossed her arms and she thought and she thought and she thought and she thought some more. Then she heard Willy call her.

"Mama! I'm gonna start the fire so I can make my dinner!"

"Oh. Coming Willy! But I'll start the fire! Don't do it yourself!"

* * *

Willy's POV

A little later, me and Aquadia were waiting for our fish to cook. As I waiting, I noticed something. I took a quick glance at my Mama and I could see that she was deep in thought about something. I wondered why, so I asked her.

"Mama? Is something wrong?"

"Oh. Nothing really. I was just deep in thought about something.

"Whatcha thinking about?" I asked again.

"Just...some things Willy just some things."

I didn't understand what she meant nor did I pry, so I went back to waiting for my fish. Then feeling impatient, I reached out and grabbed my fish. As soon as I did, I felt my hand sizzle and feel really hot. I yelled in pain and I retracted my hand. Aquadia snapped out of her thinking gaze upon hearing me and rushed to my side.

"Willy! Are you okay?!"

"Owie! My hand! It burns!" I cried with tears in my eyes.

"Oh you poor dear! Here let me see it."

Sniffling, I held up my hand so she could see it. It was red and looked like it was about to blister. It really hurt. It hurt so bad, that I felt like I burned it off. She inspected it and then she smiled kindly to me.

"It's okay. Mama will make it better for you. Just keep still okay?"

I answered with a sniffle and a nod. Aquadia gently placed the tip of her claw on my hand very gently and suddenly, her claw started to emit a glow in a bright blue color. The light slowly enveloped my hand until my it was glowing as well. The burning feeling on my hand was slowly disappearing as if the pain was ebbing out. Soon, the pain disappeared completely. I looked at my hand and saw that my burn was gone. It was completely healed.

"Wow! My hand! It's all better!"

"There we go," she said. "Try to be a little more careful okay?"

"How did you do that Mama?! That was so cool!"

"It's nothing really. I just used a healing spell that's all."

"A healing spell? You mean... like magic?" I asked.

"Yes," she replied. "Have you ever seen magic before?"

"Nuh-uh. I've only heard of magic from the stories my parents read to me. I never seen anything like it before."

"I see," she said. "and what did you think when I used my magic to heal you?"

"It... it looked really cool! It was very beautiful too! I've never seen anything like it before!"

Aquadia seemed to be surprised after hearing my response. Then she gave me a big toothless grin.

"Is that so? Thank you very much Willy. That means a lot."

"You're welcome Mama. Now... could you help me cool down my fish so I could eat it?" I asked feeling hungry.

"Of course," Aquadia smiled as she grabbed my fish and blew on it to cool it down.

A little later after we ate, we got ready for bed. I climbed on top of Aquadia and settled down on my sleeping spot on top of her head. I closed my eyes and I tried to get to sleep, but I couldn't. I couldn't stop thinking about what my Mama did to heal my hand. I thought it was awesome that my Mama could use magic, but personally I wanted to learn how to use magic myself. I would have asked my Mama to teach me, but I didn't know how to ask her. Then my Mama suddenly spoke.

"Willy?" she asked. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure Mama. What is it?"

"Did you really like my magic?"

"Oh yeah. I did. I loved especially how warm it was. It was really special. When you used it on me, it felt really warm. To be honest, I'd would love to learn that if could."

"Really? Hmm. I'll have to think about that. Until then, it's time to get some sleep little one."

"(yawn) Yeah. Night Mama. See you in the morning."

"Night Willy. Sweet dreams."

I made myself comfy on my Mama's head and closed my eyes and went to sleep.

* * *

NO POV

Aquadia closed her eyes and tried to get some sleep, but for some reason, she couldn't. She was still thinking about what she and Grandeeney had discussed and about Willy and about what Willy said about her magic.

(flashbacks)  
"In my opinion, I think he would be perfect. In a way he's just like you. If had to be anyone to choose, I would choose him."

"It... it looked really cool! I'd love to learn magic if I could."

Aquadia stayed awake for a while longer. Then as she was falling asleep, she made up her mind.

"I'll ask him tomorrow. My legacy lies with his decision."

 _I felt a little iffy on this one and I know I'm bad with coming up with names for my chapters, but I hope you liked it._

 _Next time: Chapter 5 Like a Wave  
_


	5. Chapter 5 Like a Wave

_Hello everybody! Sorry for the wait, but here is chapter 5! It took me a while, but I finally managed to get it done._

 _Willy: Yay! Way to go!_

 _Me: Thank you Willy. Sorry that I didn't finish this sooner._

 _Willy: It's okay. As long as you got it finished._

 _Me: Yup. So without further ado, let's get this story underway. Willy if you please?_

 _Willy: Sure thing. He doesn't own Fairy Tail what so ever. If you like feel free to tell us. Enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter 5

Like a Wave

The next morning, I woke up to the warmth of the suns rays shining upon my face. I sat up and rubbed my eyes trying to get the sleepiness out of them. Then I heard Aquadia's voice.

"Good morning Willy. It's time to get up," she said.

"Mmmm... morning Mama," I sleepily replied as I jumped off her head.

"Did you sleep well?" she asked me.

"Yeah. I slept fine Mama." I said. "Shall I go get breakfast as usual?"

"Yes you may," she replied. "I'll join you in a little bit afterwards."

"OK Mama. I'm off," I said as I happily skipped out of the cave to go get breakfast. I was just about to leave the cave, but then I heard Aquadia again.

"Willy, after breakfast I need to talk with you. It's important." she said.

"What is it Mama?"

"Don't worry. You'll find out after breakfast. Now go on. Go catch some fish."

"Okay Mama."

As I left the cave, I couldn't help but feel a little curious. What did my Mama want to talk to me about and was it important? The more I thought about it, the more curious I became. But being the little kid I was, I quickly put it out it out of my mind. I went to the ocean and dove into the water searching for my fish to eat.

Normally a person would freeze swimming in the ocean in the morning like this, but not me. I was practically raised in the ocean. Granted it was really cold at first when I was first learning how to swim, but I eventually got used to it. It doesn't even bother me anymore. Anyway, I swam in the ocean and caught a couple of fish. Then Aquadia joined in and she caught a giant one for herself. After that, we went back to the cave and ate our breakfast. When we finished I spoke to Aquadia.

"So Mama, what did you want to talk to me about?"

Aqaudia was silent for a moment, then she turned towards my direction.

"Willy? Do you remember when I we first met?" she asked.

"Uh-huh. You saved me from some kind of beast and you adopted me."

"Well, have you ever wondered why I saved you?" she asked again.

I thought and thought trying to think back of when she saved me before. Now that I thought about it, I never once asked why she saved me. I shrugged my shoulders.

"Well, I had two reasons for that. One, I couldn't bear the thought of a boy like yourself being all alone out there in the world. I had to take care of you. And the second, it was because I have chosen you."

"Chosen me?" I asked. "For what?"

Aquadia paused impressively and then she looked at me with her golden eyes gleaming.

"To learn my magic and become a dragon slayer."

My eyes widened a little in surprise as I looked Aquadia in surprise and disbelief.

"What? You want... to teach me magic? Dragon slayer magic?"

"Yes," Aquadia replied. "That is why I chose you."

At this point, I was excited and puzzled at the same time. I was excited because I've heard stories about dragon slayers from the stories my Mama and Papa read to me, but I never imagined that I would be trained to become one. But also I felt a little puzzled as to why I was chosen to learn such magic.

"But Mama, why did you choose me to learn your magic? I mean... am I special or something?"

"Yes you are Willy. I could see it the moment I saw you. You're in tune with water and you're an incredible swimmer. You're the first human I've laid eyes on that has displayed such ability."

"I am?"

"Yes. Although, I will admit that I had some doubts, but hearing your response yesterday made me more sure than I was before. You are not like other humans. You're a very special child. A child that's perfect for learning my magic. And so I ask, I will you be my student and learn the ways of the dragon slayer?"

"Yes! I will!" I said bubbling with excitement.

"Now I'll be honest. The training will be rough and you'll probably won't be able to master it right away," she continued. "In fact, it might take a couple of years to master it, but I have full confidence that you can do it."

"I won't let you down Mama! I'll make you proud." I said feeling pumped about this.

Aquadia gave me a toothy grin and petted my head with her finger.

"That's my boy." she said.

"So when do start Mama?" I asked eager to start learning.

"Now, now," she said. "There's something that we have to do first before I can teach you."

"What's that Mama?"

"You'll see. Come with me," she replied.

Aquadia walked out of the cave with me following close behind. We talked towards the place where we usually went fishing, then we started walking along the shore. It took a couple of hours, but eventually we came to another cave. I've never seen this cave before. It looked like the one where we lived, but it looked much bigger and looked very dark inside. Also I didn't know why, but I felt something... mysterious about this cave. I stopped and stared at the entrance to the cave while Aquadia walked past me.

"Come," she said.

Snapping out of my stare, I followed her in the cave. Inside the cave was stalagmites and stalagtites surrounding a small pool of water inside it. The only light inside of the cave was the sunlight refelcting the water, so it was a lot less darker that I thought it was. As we walked in, that feeling I had outside the cave was stronger than it was before. It was like I was sensing a mysterious power.

"Mama? What is this place?" I wondered.

"This is a cave that has been here for hundreds of years. The water here has a high amount of ethernano which is also known as particles of magic power. This is where countless people like you have unlocked their water magic abilities. They also became more in tune with water than ever before"

"Really?" I said amazed.

"Yes. Now it is your turn. In order to have you learn water dragon slayer magic, I'll need to unlock your potential."

"How will you do that Mama?" I asked.

"Don't worry. I'll explain what to do. For now, get in the water Willy."

I went to the edge of the lake and dipped my feet in to test the temperature and how deep it was. The water felt... different. It was cool, but at the same time it felt warm. Then Aquadia spoke to me again.

"Willy. Do you know how to float on your back?"

I nodded my head and then I floated on my back as a demonstration.

"Good. Now I want you to stay like that and also close your eyes and relax."

"Why Mama? What are you going to do?" I asked feeling a little nervous as to what was about to happen.

"Just trust me," she said.

I didn't know what was going to happen, but I did as I was told. I closed my eyes, relaxed, and let myself float in the water. Then very gently, Aquadia pushed me across the water making me drift until I was in the middle of the pool. As soon as I stopped in the middle of the pool, she put her hands together and concentrated.

Everything was still for a moment and then Aquadia began to glow bright blue. The glow spread throughout her body until her entire body was glowing. Bright blue balls of light began to appear in the air as if Aquadia's power was awakening the magic throughout the cave. Soon the entire cave was ablaze with lights. The lights danced and floated around as if they were fireflies. The lights floated around until a few touched the water where I was floating in. As soon as they touched the water, the glow spread throughout the water until the water was glowing a bright blue as well.

I oblivious as to what was going on continued to float feeling a warm feeling throughout my body. Then a magic circle with a dragon emblem appeared underneath me in the water and the light grew brighter. The warm feeling intensified as something powerful began surging through my body. Aquadia's and my eyes opened revealing that both were glowing like the lake and the cave. Then the glow started to die down and light slowly began to fade. The water returned to normal and Aquadia stopped glowing.

"There we go," she asked. "You can get out now Willy. It is done."

I stopped floating and went underwater. Then I swam to shore towards Aquadia and I got out of the water. For some reason I felt... different. Powerful. Stronger. The feeling made me excited.

"Mama! This feels amazing! I can use magic now right?" I asked eagerly.

"Not exactly," she said. "I've just awakened the magic power inside of you, but don't worry. With proper training, you'll be a fine water dragon slayer in no time. But first, I'll have to teach you the basics. Come."

Aquadia and I then walked about of the cave and walked to the shore close to the sea. Then sat down and turned to me.

"Willy. This will be your first lesson. Let me ask you something. What is water to you?"

"Hmm..." I hummed trying to answer Aquadia's question, but being the little kid I was, I didn't know anything other than it was used for drinking. So my only answer to that was a shrug.

"You were probably thinking that water is for drinking right?" she asked with a teasing grin.

"Wow! Are you psychic Mama?" I asked surprised that she read my mind.

"Just call it a mother's intuition. Anyway, you're a little right. Water is for drinking, but it's more than that. Water is the essence of all life. It's in the ocean, it's in plants, and it's in all living creatures on the planet. It can be beautiful and gentle like this ocean you see before you, but at the same time it can be powerful and destructive. In order for you to understand how to control water, you must understand the gentle and the destructive ways of water. You must also be able to feel the water, breathe water, and you'll be able to control water."

"How can I be able to do all of that Mama?" I asked feeling a little confused. "I know how to swim and stuff, but how can I do of those things?"

"Hahaha. I once asked myself the same question you did." said Aquadia.

"You did?"

"Quite so," she continued. "I was wondering how to do all of those things myself. It was all so confusing at first, but then I did something that changed all of that and made me realize that it wasn't that difficult at all."

"What did you do?" I asked.

"I listened," she answered. "You may not be aware of this Willy, but water is alive and has a voice. I know this because once I listened, I heard it's voice."

"But... how can you hear a voice from water Mama?" I asked. "I only hear the waves."

"That's because your listening with your ears my son," said Aquadia. "I didn't use my ears to listen. I used my heart to listen. Because I listened with my heart, my magic grew and I gained the ability to sense currents in water."

"Listening with your heart to sense currents? I don't understand. How do I do that?"

"Just close your eyes and listen. Not with your ears, but with your heart. If you do that, I'm sure you'll understand what I mean. Just listen and you'll hear it."

Now I felt confused. I really didn't understand what Aquadia meant, but I did what she told me. I closed my eyes and listened. The only sound I could hear was the waves washing up on the shore. Then after a few minutes, I began to hear something. It was a kind of strange voice within the waves. It sounded like it was calling me whatever it was. Aquadia watched quietly and then she began to sing some kind of rhyme.

 _Que que na-to-ra_

 _You will understand_

 _Listen with your heart_

 _You will understand_

 _Let it wash upon you_

 _Like a wave upon the sand_

 _Listen with your heart_

 _You will understand_

I opened my eyes and the voice slowly disappeared. It was only for a moment, but I definitely heard it.

"Mama. I heard a voice. A strange voice." I told her.

"That's good," she said. "It means that you're starting to feel the many currents that are in the sea, but don't worry we'll get to that another time. For now, let's go home. It's getting a little late. Let's go get some dinner."

"Yes Mama, but you'll be able to teach me some more tomorrow right?"

Aquadia smiled. "Of course. Don't worry. There'll be plenty more to learn tomorrow."

We headed back home, then ate dinner, and went to bed. Aquadia was sound asleep snoring slightly. As I lied down on Aquadia's head, I tried to get some sleep, but I couldn't. I kept thinking about what had transpired today. It made me feel more excited to learn magic, but at the same time it made me wonder about the voice I heard. I looked up at the hole in the cave seeing all the bright stars shining through it. I counted the stars one by one and after the 50th star, I eventually fell asleep.

 _Willy's magic is awakened and gets his first lesson in magic._

 _The song I used was 'Listen to your Heart from Pocahontas' to give that mystical feeling._

 _Till next time my friends._

 _Be on the look out for Chapter 6 Thank you  
_


	6. Chapter 6 Thank you

_Hello everyone! I"m back to bring another chapter of my Fairy Tail OC story! And I have a very special guest with me. From Fairy Tail please welcome... wait am I getting this right? Mavis?!_

 _Mavis pops out behind me._

 _Mavis: Hello!_

 _Me: Wait! What the heck are you doing here Mavis?!_

 _Mavis: I figured I'd come over and say hi. Plus I wanted to meet you._

 _Me: Um... I'm honored Mavis, but weren't you supposed to come later?_

 _Mavis: Well... I thought that, but waiting would be boring so I decided to shake things up a little._

 _Me: I... see... Well anyway let's get this started._

 _Mavis: Right! He doesn't own Fairy Tail and if you like, feel free to comment!_

 _Me and Mavis: Enjoy the chapter!_

* * *

Chapter 6

Thank you

The next day, it was bright and sunny, the ocean's waves were washing up on the shore, a nice day for a day at the beach. But for me, it was a day of training. I stood on the beach with Aquadia ready for my next lesson in water dragon magic.

"Okay Willy. Are you ready for your next lesson?" asked Aquadia.

"Yes Mama," I answered. "I'm ready."

"Now this part of the training might be a little difficult for you, but I believe with practice you'll be able to master this," continued Aquadia. "For your next lesson, we're going swimming."

"Swimming?" I asked feeling a little puzzled. "But...Mama? I thought that l was learning magic."

Aquadia laughed. "You are, but today's lesson requires you to swim. It's okay. We won't fooling around or anything like that. You'll get your lesson. Now come on, in the water."

"Okay Mama."

And so, Aquadia stepped into the water with me following close behind her. We both swam until were a distance until were a few miles away from the shore.

"All right Willy. Let's get started," said Aquadia. "First before we get started, how long can you stay underwater?"

"Hmm...," I thought. "I guess I can hold my breath for a few minutes if that's what you mean Mama."

"Let's see you do it," said Aquadia. "Show me how long you can stay underwater."

"OK."

I took a deep breath and went into the water. I swam a couple feet and I held my breath. I stayed under the water for about ten minutes or so before couldn't hold my breath anymore. I went back up to the surface gasping for air.

"Whew. How was that Mama?"

"Hmm. Not bad. Pretty good."

"Mama, does this have anything to do with my lesson?" I asked.

"Yes. For your lesson today, I'm going to teach you how to breathe underwater and improve your swimming capability," said Aquadia. "In order to master water dragon magic, you have to learn to not only swim in it, but breathe it as well. Once you learn to breathe water, you'll be able to learn certain spells and in addition be able to stay underwater longer and improve your swimming. So today, I'm going to teach you how to breathe underwater."

I nodded understanding what Aquadia was telling me, but at the same time was a little worried. Humans are good for swimming, but aren't exactly built to breathe underwater.

"But Mama... I won't drown will I? I'm good at swimming, but I can't breathe underwater."

"Don't worry. You'll be fine. You do have the power to breathe underwater. You just need to learn how to. When I awoke your magic power using mine, I was able to grant you the characteristics of a water dragon, including lungs that allow you to spew and breathe water."

"Really?" I asked.

"Yes. So don't worry. I'll be right with you. I promise I'll make sure that nothing happens to you."

I was a bit hesitant at first, but I felt a little less worried now. I knew if anything were to happen, Aquadia would be there to save me just like she did back when she found me.

"OK Mama. I'll do my best! Please teach me." I said.

Aquadia smiled. "Very well then. Let's get started. We'll both dive underwater and I'll tell you what to do. If you need to take a breather, feel free to do so. Are you ready?"

"Yes Mama."

Aquadia nodded and went into the water. I followed suit by taking a deep breath and dove in after her. When I was underwater I looked around to try and find her, but she was nowhere to be seen. Then suddenly I heard her voice.

"Yoo-hoo! Willy! Down here!"

It sounded like Aquadia, but I couldn't see her. Then looking down to the floor, I saw her. She waved at me and then I heard her speak again.

"Come over here Willy. I can't teach you if you're over there."

I nodded and swam towards Aqaudia until I was in front of her. It was pretty cool that she can breathe and talk underwater, but it made me all the more nervous in learning how. I didn't know if I was gonna be able to do this or not, but I sure was gonna try.

"Willy? Can you hear me?" Aqaudia asked.

I nodded my head as an answer.

"OK. Now, we're gonna get started. Now I want you to breathe."

I looked at her and nodded. I was about to let out my breath, but I instinctively began to hesitate. What if my lungs failed me and I ended up drowning? I looked up to the surface; it wasn't too far away from what I could tell. If all else failed, I could swim to the surface if I was fast enough. Then I felt my body start to react without oxygen. My lungs started to get tired and I felt the need to go the surface, but then Aqaudia called me.

"Willy? Come on. You need to breathe before you pass out. Don't worry. You'll be okay."

I closed my eyes and then I finally let out my held breath. I was expecting to have water in my lungs, but instead I got oxygen just like normal air. I opened my eyes and and took a few breaths to see if this was real. I felt excited. So excited I swam in circles back and forth. This was the coolest feeling I ever felt.

"Look at me Mama," I said. "I'm swimming and breathing underwater! I'm like a fishy now!"

Suddenly I felt the water get caught in my throat causing me to cough and choke on the water a little. I couldn't breathe. So I quickly headed up to the surface as soon as possible. I gasped breathing deeply the fresh air. Soon after me Aquadia came up from the surface after me.

"Willy?! Are you okay?"

"Uh-huh. I'm okay."

"You need to calm down Willy. You're just learning, so you should take it easy. Breathe calmly. Air in. Air out. Slowly. Now we'll try again, when you catch your breath okay?"

"Okay."

After I was feeling a little better, Aquadia went back into the water and I followed. This time, I did what she told me. I breathed in deeply and I slowly let out. I was a little excited before, but now I was a lot calmer.

"Whew. Thanks Mama." I said. "I can breathe much better now."

"You're welcome Willy. So how is it? Breathing in water?"

"It's strange," I said. "It's like I'm breathing air normally, but it's water instead of air. It's feels different from when I was swimming before."

"Yes. It is different isn't it?" said Aqaudia. "Like I said before, your lungs can take the qualities of dragon lungs like mine allowing you to breathe underwater. You're still a little green when it comes to this, so I need you to take your time and practice breathing underwater whenever you're out fishing or when you're swimming. Is that understood?"

"Yes Mama." I replied.

"Good," she said. "Now why don't you go explore for a little bit? Practice until you've gotten used to it okay? I'll be right here watching."

"Okay Mama." I said as I swam away.

I swam along the ocean floor looking around at the many sights a person would somwetimes never get to see under the water while Aquadia sat by the rocks watching me. Colorful reefs gave the floor a splendid look and schools of fishes swam left and right. As I swam through the schools of fish and the reefs, I couldn't help but be awed by this wonderful sight.

Then a school of fish swam past me. Each one was a bright green color with the suns rays reflecting on their scales. I couldn't help, but swim after them wanting to get a closer look. The fish who had taken notice of me swam scattered and then started to swim around me. I couldn't help, but laugh at this sight and I swim after them testing myself if I could swim fast enough. It felt pretty amazing being underwater like this without having to worry about air. It felt like I was just like them. Swimming free without a care in the world.

Aqaudia watched sitting on her rock watching me play. As she watched, she couldn't help but smile.

"Looks like he's starting to get the hang of it," she thought. "He still needs some work, but he'll get better."

We stayed under until it was late in the afternoon and I was starting to get a little tired. We got out of the water and Aquadia decided it was time for a lunch break. We both caught some fish and took a rest by the side of the shore. We both ate in silence listening to the ocean washing up on the rocks and the shore. Then Aquadia spoke to me.

"Hey Willy. Mind if I ask you something?"

"What is it Mama?" I asked.

"Tell me. How did you learn how to swim?" she asked.

I looked at her and then I answered: "My Mama and my Papa taught me. I was 4 when they started teaching me. We would go by the sea and my Papa would hold on me up teaching me how to stay afloat and fish and my Mama would show me how to stroke and hold my breath in the water. I was a little bad at it at first, but I got the hang of it. I got better and better until I was really good at swimming. In fact, I was the best swimmer in my entire village. Well before... you know."

Just thinking about my parents made me remember back when. Back when I was swimming with my real Mama and my Papa. All those happy times of being of them made me happy, but at the same time it made me remember when my village was wiped out. It made me feel a little sad and miss my parents. Aquadia could see this and she felt a little bad.

"Oh. I'm sorry Willy. I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."

"It's okay," I said shaking the memories out of my mind. "It doesn't bother me as much any more because I have you Mama. I may have lost my family, but I have you now. So I have no reason to be sad."

Aqaudia looked at me with a blank expression. Then she smiled at me.

"Well that's good for you Willy. I'm proud of you for saying that."

I smiled back at her feeling a little proud of myself as well. Then Aquadia finishing her fish, sat up and walked into the water.

"Now then, shall we continue practicing your breathing?" she asked.

"Sure thing Mama," I said diving into the water after her. After that, I practiced breathing and swimming with Aquadia watching me for for a few more hours before the sunlight in the water gave am amber glow signaling that the sun was setting. After that, we both headed home, ate dinner, and got ready for bed. Aqaudia lied down in the middle of the cave fast asleep and snoring slightly.

I however stayed awake and stared at the ceiling of the cave. I was still thinking about my Mama, my Papa, and when I was back in the village. I must admit I may have said Aquadia that it was fine, but to be honest I missed them. A lot. I can still remember back when I saw my Mama's body and my village destroyed. It was a deep mental scar that probably won't be able to heal some time soon. I didn't realize it right away, but a stray tear dripped down my cheek.

"Mama... Papa..." I thought. "I miss you both so much. I wish you both were here right now."

Then a snort from Aqaudia snapped me out of my depressed daze. I hurriedly wiped my tear just in case that she was awake. I didn't want her to see me crying. Luckily she was still asleep. She was snoring and sleeping peacefully. Seeing her like that made me smile a little and it also made me realize that I wouldn't be lonely. She would be there for me. She was my Mama even though that she and I aren't related by by blood and she will be there for me, so there was no reason for me to feel sad. I looked up to the ceiling and murmured three words before I went to sleep.

"Thank you Mama."

* * *

 _Another chapter down!_

 _Stay tuned for the next one! Chapter 7, The Final Test Part 1  
_

 _Hope to see you then!_


	7. Chapter 7 The Final Test Part 1

_Sorry for the wait people, but I finally had time to get this chapter done! This one is a little longer than usual, but I hope you guys like it! Enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter 7

The Final Test Part 1

For the next few weeks or so, we continued to swim while breathing underwater to train my lungs. It took a while of getting used to, but eventually I was able to swim a lot faster while breathing underwater. Because of learning this skill, my fishing and swimming skills have improved tenfold. I was able to catch fish a lot faster and I was able to stay in the water for longer periods of times.

To be honest, it was actually kinda fun. Being able to breathe underwater was an incredible experience. It was like viewing the world in a whole new way. A way that I could get used to.

Eventually after mastering breathing underwater, Aquadia began teaching me dragon slayer magic. First she taught me the basics; Iron Fist, Wing Attack, Talon, and one of my favorites, Roar. It definitely was hard mastering the spells at first. For one thing when I was learning how to use the breath attack, I had to practice taking in a whole bunch of water in my belly and shooting it out from my mouth. I must admit drinking the ocean water was very salty and I didn't like the taste of it, but eventually I got used to the taste. I also was able to master the breath attack in about a few weeks. It wasn't as strong as Aquadia's, but it was still pretty powerful.

Next, I had to learn the Iron Fist. This part of the training was very hard for me. Especially on my hands. The reason being was that for my training, Aquadia had me punch a boulder until I broke it by myself. When I first tried it, I hurt my hand so bad that it felt like it was broken. Luckily Aquadia had her healing magic to heal my hands, but she pressed me to keep going. To keep punching the boulder until I was able to break it. I did so. I kept punching and punching the boulder until my hands were bloody. It soon became a process, I would punch and punch until my hands battered and Aquadia would heal me and have me try again. This went on for a couple of days and frankly it was so frustrating, I was almost ready to give up.

But then one day, Aquadia gave me a helpful tip. She told me to think about why I wanted to use my magic. Why I wanted to become a dragon slayer in the first place? If I did that then I would be able to break the boulder. I really didn't think about why. At first I thought I wanted to learn because Aquadia's magic looked cool, but then something came into my mind. My parents. I thought back to when my Mama hid me in the tree to make sure I was safe and then go off to her death to protect me. I felt so powerless when my parents died. They sacrificed everything to make sure that I was alive and safe. They risked their lives to protect me and all I could do was cry. That made me want to get stronger. To get more stronger so I could do my best not only for their sake, but to make them proud. Feeling that way made magic power surge inside me and finally with one powerful punch, I was able to break the boulder and master the Iron Fist.

As for the Talon and Wing Attacks, I was able to master those as well in a couple of days. Needless to say, Aquadia was proud of how far I've come along. She told me I have practically became her prodigy. Soon after she began teaching me the advanced spells and other water skills. From the dragon slayer secret arts to learning how to merge with water, I faced every challenge and conquered everything that came my way.

The days rolled on by and soon four years of training had passed. I was now 11. My appearance hasn't really changed other than me being taller than before. I also was darker and my muscles were slightly toned giving me the appearance of a jungle man.

I was looking out to the sea standing on a rock wearing nothing, but a pair of tattered blue shorts. I sniffed the air and looked around me as if I was looking for something. I jumped off the rock and dove into the water. I swam until I was near the floor of the ocean. The reef was as beautiful as it was a couple of years back. Colorful fish swam around me as they went about swimming in big schools. I smiled and waved at them and swam on. Yes, today was a beautiful day.

Then suddenly I sensed something. Something was coming and was heading straight for me. The fish sensed this too and they all scattered and disappeaered. I however stayed put and waited. I knew what it was and I knew what was coming. I took a fighting stance and got ready as a dark shadow came towards me in the distance. It came closer and closer. I clenched my fist and a glowing blue magic circle appeared on my hand and then a blue light formed on it. The dark shadow grew closer and closer. I brought my fist back and was ready to attack, but then the shadow came into the light. That's when I could see what the shadow really was.

It turns out, it was only a shark. It lurked out of the darkness looking for someone to be it's next meal. Then it saw me. It automatically turned and began to swim towards me. I stayed put, not intimidated in the least by it. The shark began to speed up and bared it's teeth ready to go for the kill. Then, right when he was about to take a bite out of me, I quickly swam to the side and gave him a strong punch in the gills. The shark was sent recoiling and slammed to a rock. The shark recovered from the attack and swam away not wanting to go through that again.

I let out a sigh and swam to the surface. I swam toward the rocks and got out of the water.

"That was way to easy," I thought. "For a moment, I thought that it was her. I guess I was wrong. Hmm. I wonder when she's gonna..."

Suddenly out of nowhere, a giant water spout erupted from behind me causing a giant wave to come straight at me. I bent down and jumped high into air managing to dodge the incoming wave as it crashed onto the shore where I was standing, as I landed on the ground as if it was no big deal. I looked to the source of the of the wave and went on the attack. My hands glowed blue again and water cloaked my fists. Large streams of water erupted from my hands and then I jumped into the air and flung the streams of water toward my target.

"WATER DRAGON, WING ATTACK!"

The attack hit the ocean with a mighty boosh. Water rained down everywhere. I looked to see if I was able to hit my target, but my target was nowhere to be seen. Then there was a rumbling sound. I took my stance and prepared myself for what was coming next. Suddenly the ocean exploded in a huge spout of water and a giant shadow loomed over me, but I smiled and laughed. I knew who it was. It was none other than Aquadia.

Aquadia roared at me making the earth slightly tremble from the sound. Any normal person would have turned tail and ran in fear, but not me. I stood my ground with a toothy grin on my face and went straight for her. I jumped up and used another one of my spells. My feet cloaked with water and went for her face with a powerful kick.

"WATER DRAGON TALON!"

Aquadia immediately went on the defensive by using her right claw to block the attack. She then pushed me back sending me flying straight towards a wall. Luckily I was able to save myself shooting jets of water at wall from my feet.

"WATER DRAGON AQUA JET!"

I launched myself away from the wall and landed safely on the ground. I heard Aquadia call out to me.

"You're gonna have to do better than that Willy! Is that really all you got?"

"As if!" I called back. "I'm just getting warmed up!"

My fists became cloaked with water once again and I ran straight toward her. Aquadia prepared expecting me to attack her, but to her surprise I zipped right past her, dove straight into the ocean and disappeared. Aquadia entered the water after me scanning to see if she could find me, but I was nowhere to be seen.

"Hmm. I can't seem to find him," she thought. "He's definitely improved when it comes to stealth I'll give him that, but there's something he can't hide from me: his scent.

Aquadia began to sniff around the water trying to find me by scent. She sniffed and she sniffed and she sniffed and she sniffed until she caught a familiar scent. Then I shot out right out of the water and was right above her. I was planning on going for a sneak attack and catch her off guard. My fists cloaked with water once more as I went in for an Iron Fist attack, but Aquadia wasn't gonna have that. She immediately stopped me by grabbing me with her claw. I struggled and tried to get free, but Aquadia's grip was firm and I wasn't going anywhere.

"Come now Willy. Surely you didn't think I wouldn't fall for something so predictable did you?" she chuckled.

I struggled trying to break free from her grip, but then I smiled making Aquadia feel puzzled. Before she could figure out why I was smiling, I dissolved into water. Aquadia eyes widened in shock realizing that she had been duped. Before she could react, I burst out of the water and landed an attack. I shot out a stream of water from my elbow making my punch hit with a lot more force.

"You're wide open Mama! WATER DRAGON GUSHING ELBOW!"

The attack connected right at Aquadia's cheek which caused her to stumble a little. Aquadia held her cheek and looked at me in shock.

"How'd you like that Mama?" I said. "I used my Water Dragon Clones to trick you! Pretty good huh?"

Aquadia smiled and she couldn't help but laugh with pride.

"Well now, you definitely got me on that one Willy. Well done! But don't think it'll happen again. Cause now, I think it's time that we end this."

"Bring it on Mama!" I said as I ran towards her cloaking my hands in water once more. Aquadia was expecting me to use the Iron Fist again, but this time I straightened my hands and the water on them both took the shape of blades.

"WATER DRAGON WATER BLADES!"

I jumped and slashed at Aquadia, but Aquadia blocked the attack by throwing a rock and I ended up slashing that instead. I cut through the rock like it was butter as it split in two and then using the rock I jumped back and landed on the ground. Unfortunately that left me open for an attack. Aquadia swiped her tail causing a wave to come barreling straight at me. The wave was so huge, it was practically a small tsunami. As the wave came towards me, I stood there not intimidated in the slightest. Then I ran towards the wave and just when it was about to swallow me, I slammed my hands into the ground.

"WATER DRAGON GEYSER WALL!"

A huge wall like spout of water burst forth and protected me. Aquadia gasped in shock as wave crashed against the wall I had made. When the wave died down, the wall disappeared as well and I stood tall with a grin on my face. Aquadia grinned at me back.

"Very impressive," she thought. "His geyser wall is stronger than it ever was before. It was able to even repel the wave I made. However... I grow tired. Let's see how Willy handles this attack!"

Aquadia then began taking a deep breath. My eyes widened in shock and I immediately knew that she was going for a breath attack. I had to act fast to try and counter it, so I did the first thing that popped into my head. I took a deep breath and water began rising from the water in ropes and entered my mouth. I drank and I drank until I reached my maximum power. I braced my legs, held my head high and focused. A bright blue light began forming inside my mouth and a blue magic circle appeared underneath me. Aquadia had finished charging up and then released a powerful beam of water aimed straight for me. Right at that moment I leaned by body back took a deep breath and released the same beam as she did.

"WATER DRAGON ROAR!"

Both beams of water came straight at each other and both collided with a mighty boom. The collision of the attack made water fly everywhere. It rained down on everything as if it was pouring, but there were no clouds. When the water stopped raining, I stood in front of Aquadia out of breath and feeling tired. Aquadia however seemed perfectly fine. We both stared at each other for a couple of moments, then Aquadia spoke.

"That's enough Willy. You've done well."

I sat down and let out an exhausted sigh.

"Geez. You could've gone a little easier on me Mama."

Aquadia chuckled. "If I did, this wouldn't be much of a training session now would it?"

"Speaking of which Mama, am I ready? Am I ready to begin my final test?" I asked eagerly.

You see, me and Aquadia were having a training session as a test to see if I was ready for the final part of my training. I've been training for this for the past years and I was praying that she would think that I was good enough for the final part of my training. Aquadia closed her eyes and crossed her arms thinking. I waited and I waited for her response. The Aquadia opened her eyes and made her decision.

"Very well Willy. I now deem you worthy to take the final test."

"All right!" I cheered with delight. "So what are you gonna teach me Mama? Another spell? A secret art? Another water skill?

"Now, now Willy calm down," said Aquadia smiling. "I'm afraid it's nothing of the sort. It's something quite simple actually."

She held out her claw in front of me and made a magic circle. From the magic circle something appeared. It was a small blue stone that looked like a reptilian eye with a string around it. She then put it around my neck. I was amazed. It was so beautiful and shiny.

"What is this Mama? It looks like a dragon's eye." I said.

"A very precious stone," said Aquadia. "It's been passed down for generation to generation. Legend has it, the spirits of the water dragons in the past are inside that stone."

"Really?" I asked my eyes twinkling with wonder.

"Yes. Your final test is simple," she said. "All you have to do is make sure that keep that stone with you until the end of the day. I'm expecting a meeting from Grandeeney today and I have to make sure I'm there. I won't be back till the evening, so make sure you keep that stone safe no matter what. Is that understood?"

"Yes Mama," I replied. "I'll keep this stone safe no matter what. You can count on me."

"Good," said Aquadia. She opened her wings and prepared herself to fly, but then she stopped.

"Oh Willy. One more thing. If you lose that stone, there will be dire consequences," she added giving me a sharp glare with her eyes gleaming. That glare alone gave me the shivers and made me break into a sweat. She usually gave me this glare whether she was serious or angry. Then Aquadia's glare disappeared and have me a toothy grin.

"I'll see you later in the evening," she said. "Oh. And if you ever decide to go play, watch out for the waves. They've gotten bigger this time of the season, so be careful when you're swimming. I'll see you later." And with a great flap of her wings she took off into the air and flew away until she was out of sight. I was left alone still feeling the effects of Aquadia's glare.

"(shivers) Mama's scary when she glares at me," I thought. I took off the necklace and inspected it. Other than it looked like a dragon's it didn't look very much. It was very pretty though. "Hmmm. All I have to do is to keep this necklace safe? Seems a little too simple for a final test. Oh well. If Mama wants me to protect this necklace, then I'll do as she says. For now, it's play time!"

Since Aquadia was going to be away for a little while, I might as well do something fun for a little while. And I knew just the thing to do to have fun. I waded into the water and dove right into the water. I swam till I reached the bottom of the ocean floor. I looked around. I was looking for a trio certain underwater creatures that I always played with whenever I had a chance.

At first I couldn't find them. Perhaps they weren't around today. Then suddenly, I spotted them. A trio of dolphins were leaping out of the water just above me squealing with joy as they leaped about. I swam after them eager to play with them. I swam alongside of them and began to leap out of the water just like dolphins did. They dolphins took it as challenge and increased their speed and leaped even higher. Not wanting to be outdone by them, I too increased my speed and my leaps. We raced and we raced some more until I eventually grew tired.

I was taking a break lying on the rocks by the shore, listening to the waves as they crashed on the shore. It felt so soothing listening to the waves with the sun shining on me. As I lied there, I couldn't help but feel a little bit sleepy. At first I tried to stay awake, but then I decided to take a little nap. I mean, it was such a good day and Aquadia wouldn't be back until the evening, so why waste it? I slowly closed my eyes and went sleep.

But what I didn't realize was that I was being a little careless sleeping on the rock. I had forgotten about Aquadia's warning about the waves. As I continued to sleep, waves continued to crash against the rock I was sleeping on. Each time a wave washed up on the rock, a bigger wave came after it. Pretty soon, a wave crashed on the rock I was on and caused a large spray of water to rain on me. Any other person would have woken up from it, but not me. I continued to sleep not thinking it was a big deal. Then a wave that was bigger than all the other ones waves came rushing towards me. It grew closer and closer until it was right on me. At that moment, I finally started to wake up. That's when the trouble started.

One minute, I was sitting up rubbing my eyes having enjoyed my nap. The next minute, BASH! The wave hit me full force knocking me off the rock completely. The wave made me tumble and tumble in the water and I couldn't tell which way was up. I tried to regain my composure, but the current from the wave was strong. I pumped my legs and used my Water Dragon Aqua Jet spell. Thanks to that spell, I shot out of the water like a rocket. I then fell back into the water and swam towards some rocks. The waves calmed down a little so I was able to swim. I climbed up on the rock and got out of the water. I sat there on the rocks trying to catch my breath.

"(cough) Whew. That wave took me by surprise. At least I was able to get out that safely," I thought to myself.

I took a few deep breaths until my breathing was normal again. Then I got and looked to the sea. The waves were still crashing about, but they seemed to die down a little. I figured that was enough swimming for one day after getting hit by that wave so I started for home. Might as well wait for Aquadia to come home. It was then that I remembered my final test that Aquadia gave me. I reached to my neck expecting the necklace to be there, but... there was nothing. The only thing I felt was nothing, but my bare chest. I looked down and my eyes widened and my skin paled. My necklace was gone.

 _Oh dear! Willy's lost his necklace! What will he do?!_

 _Stay tuned for Chapter 8! The Final Test Part 2!_


	8. Chapter 8 The Final Test Part 2

_Whew! I finally got this chapter done! It took a while, but it's finally done! I hope you guys like this latest addition to my OC's story! I don't own Fairy Tail what so ever! I've also made a couple of references on certain parts. So credit goes to Disney. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter! And feel free to give me a review!_

 _Italics stand for flashback._

* * *

Chapter 8

The Final Test Part 2

Back with Aquadia she was soaring over the ocean flapping her mighty wings in the wind. She flew until she stopped and looked around. She was looking for a certain something in the water. She looked and she looked until finally, she spotted it. A faint bright green light was shining below the water's surface a few feet below from her.

"Ah. There it is." she mumbled to herself.

Suddenly, she started to feel weak. Her vision began to deteriorate and her body felt like jelly.

"No... Damn it... not now..." she groaned trying to keep herself together. "I must have... over done it during training..."

The sudden weakness almost caused her stop flapping and fall right into the water, but she quickly regained her composure. She placed her hands together and a blue magic circle appeared beneath her. In an instant, she felt her strength return and she was back to normal.

"Whew. That was close," she said. "Damn it this condition of mine. In any case, I better get going. I don't want to keep Grandeney."

She tucked her wings in and went under the water. Using her powerful tail and her webbed hands, she swam deep below the surface and followed the light. The light was coming from an underwater passage on the ocean floor. Aquadia swam towards it and entered the passage. She went through a long passage until the green light was shining even brighter above her. She swam up to the surface and poked her head out of the water. She was now inside an underwater cavern. It was a little similar to the cave she was Willy were living in, but it was a bit smaller. She looked around the cave and then she saw what she what she came to see. A familiar ball of green light was on the other end of the cave waiting for her.

"Ah there you are Aquadia," said Grandeney

"Sorry if I'm a little late," said Aquadia and she got out of the water and unfurled her wings. Then she shook the water off of herself like a dog and went up to the ball of light.

"So how are you Aquadia?" asked Grandeney. "It's been a couple of years since I've seen you."

"I've been good," replied Aquadia. "Hanging in there more or less."

"Good. And... I take it you know the reason I have called you out here correct?" continued Grandeney.

"Yes. Yes I have," she replied.

"Really?" said Grandeney. "And?"

Aquadia paused again walking to the edge of the water and looked at the refelction of herself in the water. Then she turned Grandeney.

"You wanted to talk to me regarding the plan correct?" she said.

"Yes," said Grandeney. "As you're well aware, the plan was for us dragons to choose a human and teach them dragon slayer magic. After that, all us dragons have to cast the spell and then Anna will open the Eclipse Gate so that we will be sent to the present where you are at."

"I see," said Aquadia. " So that's what will happen. Who are the dragons taking part in this plan besides us?"

"Igneel, Metalicana, Skiadrum, and Weisslogia," said Grandeney. "They all have taught their respective foster kids their magic for the past years and now are ready to proceed with the plan tonight."

Aquadia eyes went wide with shock.

"Tonight?! You mean... as in this night?!"

"Yes Aquadia," said Grandeney. "Surely you're aware of the date in your time. It is the year of 777, July 6th. Tomorrow, Layla Heartfilia will open the Eclipse Gate allowing us to pass through it. From there we will be dormant inside our respective hosts recovering. You knew this already didn't you?"

"Yes. I did, but I didn't expect it to be this soon. Not mention... I'm concerned about Willy." said Aquadia with a hint of worry in her voice.

"I understand your concern Aquadia. All of us do," said Grandeney. "but you must understand, this is the only way to protect the future."

"But I'm leaving Willy all alone by himself again!" said Aquadia now feeling upset. "How can I just leave him after the time I went through with him?!"

"Please calm down," said Grandeney calmly. "I know that you love this boy and I know that you're worried about him being on his own, but you must have faith in him just like we did in our kids. Besides, you won't be able to last at this rate. You're on your last leg as it is."

"How do you know that?" snapped Aquadia. "There's still a lot of life in this dragon!"

"Don't lie to me," said Grandeney firmly. "You know as well as I do is that he did some damage to you too. I was there remember? Even though it was little scratch, you've been suffering from this ever since. in fact, I'm willing to bet that you used your healing magic to try and temporarily restore it didn't you? Don't try to deny it."

Aquadia went silent. She was right on the money on that one, so she couldn't talk back. She felt like a child being scolded for doing something bad. Grandeney sighed and floated past her.

"Like I said, it's a miracle that you're still alive after all these years. In fact, you should have been dead after a few years have passed," continued Grandeney. "Your healing spell may do the job, but it's only a temporary fix. You know as well as I do that there's only one spell that will help you recover and if you don't do it soon, you'll die."

Aquadia hung her head in sadness. She knew Grandeney was right. She knew that this day was going to come eventually and she knew that she didn't have much time left. That's what she was training Willy for after all, but that didn't mean that she wasn't going to like it. If she went through with the plan, she'd be leaving Willy all alone again. However if she didn't, she wouldn't last. She may have been able to fight, but she was feeling weak. Then Grandeney's ball floated in front of Aquadia.

"Listen Aquadia. I know how you feel. I'm leaving my daughter alone by herself too and she's even younger than Willy." she said.

Aquadia looked up.

"Really?"

"Yes. I too am worried about how she will fare against the world after we come through the Eclipse Gate, but I feel that she will be fine. The reason being is that I believe in the humans have the power to change the world and do extraordinary things. Someday, I hope Wendy can become a part of those things. You should be thinking the same way about Willy. After all, you said that he would become a part of your legacy right?"

"Well... yes. I did," mumbled Aquadia.

"Then believe in him," said Grandeney. "Believe that Willy will do great things and hope that someday he'll have a big part in changing the world. After all, he has your dragon slayer magic. He's your son. So please use the spell. At least you'll be able to survive."

Aquadia smiled. "Thank you Grandeney. You helped me ease my worries a little. Although... can I make a request?"

"A request?"

"As we speak, Willy is undergoing a test. I want to see to it that he passes this test and... I want to spend time with my little boy. Just one more time before I go."

Grandeney was silent for a moment. Then she replied, "Very well. You have until tonight. I will let you know when it is time."

Aquadia bowed her head in gratitude.

"Thank you Grandeney. I appreciate it."

"Anything for a friend," said Grandeney. "Besides, you deserve it. After all you've been all alone all those years. I can't imagine how lonely you must have been. I'm surprised you haven't become a bitter old woman."

Aquadia walked to the pool where she came in and looked at her reflection in the water.

"Yes well, when you're living alone for about 400 years, it does get lonely at times and it makes you think. Then Willy came into my life. I can still remember when I first met him. He was so scared. So fragile. When I took him home and decided to raise him, I've been wondering why I've done what I did. I asked myself this over and over again until I realized. It was because... I wanted a friend. Someone to love and care for. Ever since Willy came along, I haven't been lonely once. He's changed my life for the better and made me feel what's like to be a mother. Even though he's not related by me, even though we're completely different... "

Aquadia paused and looked up at Grandeney with her eyes slightly moist.

"He's my boy. My precious baby boy. And I would do anything to make sure he has a future. A future where he can live happily and be a part of a family again. And if you say that I should believe in him, then I shall."

Grandeney floated there slightly surprised at the look at Aquadia's face, but she said happily, "Well that's good. At least you understand. Now go on. Treasure your last moments with Willy. Make them special."

Aquadia nodded. "Thank you Grandeney. See you soon."

And with that Aquadia entered the water and left the cave leaving Grandeney by herself.

"Well then... I guess I better prepare too. Prepare for future. And prepare for the day. The day of the Dragon King's feast.

Then she disappeared.

* * *

Meanwhile back with me, I was still frantically searching for my necklace. I didn't know how, but I lost my necklace when the wave hit me when I was sleeping on the rock. I knew that if I didn't find it soon, Aquadia would skin me alive and I would fail my test.

"I gotta find it! I gotta find it! I gotta find it!" I yelled frantically searching rocks and shores, but I didn't find it anywhere.

Then I dove into the water and searched for my necklace down on the floor. I searched from the caves, the coral reefs, but sadly my necklace was nowhere to be found. After hours of searching, I sat by the rocks taking a break and trying to figure out what to do. It was getting close to sunset. Aquadia would be home any minute.

But what could I do? I looked everywhere. I thought and I thought trying to think of something.

"What do I do? What do I do?" you thought. "Maybe I can... no... I can't make another one. I'll just have to tell her what happened... besides... it wasn't my fault... it was that waves fault right? Maybe she'll understand."

Yes, that's what I was originally gonna go for but then... something came up in my mind. Something back to when I was little before my parents were killed.

 _I was listening to my mom tell me the story of Pinocchio._

 _She was at the part where Pinocchio was trapped in Strumboli's carriage in a bird cage. Strumboli had just left and a few moments later, The Blue Fairy came. She then asks why Pinocchio didn't attend school. Ashamed for doing the wrong thing, he lies by telling her that he was kidnapped by two monsters who put hin in a sack and were gonna make him into firewood. As he lied, his nose grew until it was as big as a tree limb._

 _" ("You see Pinocchio, A lie keeps growing and growing, until it's as plain as the nose on your face," said The Blue Fairy.)," my mama read. "(Pinocchio felt terrible. He and Jiminy pleaded her to give them a second chance and promised that they would never tell a lie again. The Blue Fairy forgave them and gave them a second chance, but...)_

 _"Um... Mama?" I said. "Why did Pinocchio's nose grow so long?"_

 _"Because he told a lie Willy," my Mama replied. "Just like The Blue Fairy said; "A lie keeps growing until it's as plain as the nose on your face." Basically when someone lies, the lie can get bigger and bigger until it becomes too big to handle and it can be hard to tell the truth. That's why you must tell the truth no matter what you do."_

 _"Mama? Will my nose grow if I tell a lie?" I asked feeling my nose._

 _My Mama chuckled. "Oh no. Of course not. But... it is bad to lie. You should always tell the truth no matter what."_

 _"Even if I might get into trouble Mama?"_

 _"Even if you get into trouble Willy. It may be hard to tell the truth knowing that you might get in trouble for it sometimes, but it's better than having to lie because that will get you into more trouble. So if you ever get into trouble or get into a situation, I want you to have courage and tell the truth no matter what. Understand?"_

 _I pondered for a moment. Then I nodded._

 _"OK Mama. I won't tell a lie. Promise."_

 _My Mama smiled. "That's good. Because if you started lying, your nose would grow and grow until it was as big as a tree!"_

 _"Mama! That's silly!" I laughed._

Looking back, I may not have thought about it much at the time, but I could well remember what I told her that day. After thinking about it for while, I decided.

"(sigh) I'm gonna tell Mama the truth. Even though she might be...(gulp) mad at me... No! Like Mama told me, I have to have courage and tell the truth."

Then I heard a flapping of wings in the distance. My heart began to beat like a jackhammer. I knew who was coming. I stood up from and looked at the distance. There flying towards me was Aquadia. I was scared to death. I wanted to run away. I wanted to crawl under a rock and hide, but... I stayed put. I had to have courage. No matter what I couldn't run away. I had to have courage like the shark facing a giant prey. Yeah. I could do this! I can do this! Then Aquadia landed in front of me with a thump.

"Willy. I'm back."

As soon as she said those words, I immediately broke down crying and ran towards her.

"WAAAAAHHHHH! I'm sorry Mama!"

I hugged her claw and sobbed into it while Aquadia looked at me completely surprised.

"Willy?! Calm down! What's wrong?"

A little later, I calmed down and then I told Aquadia what had happened. Aquadia sat there and listened quietly to my story.

"I'm so sorry Mama..." I wept finishing my story. "I was careless... I lost the necklace...(sniff) and... I failed... I'm so sorry. Please don't be mad...(sob)."

Aquadia sat there staring at me. It felt as if her eyes staring right into my soul. It made me feel scared. Then Aquadia spoke.

"Willy. Is everything you told me true?"

"Y-y-yes."

"Well then, I have no choice."

Aquadia reached towards me with her claw. I closed my eyes fearing the worst. But then, I felt Aquadia's claw pet my head. I opened my eyes and looked up at Aquadia. I was expecting her to be mad, but to my surprise, she had a big grin on her face.

"Willy. I'm happy to say... you passed my test."

My eyes went wide with shock.

"What?!"

"You heard me," said Aquadia. "I said you passed my test."

"But... I don't understand..." I said completely baffled. "I thought... I was supposed to keep your necklace safe."

"True, but that wasn't the real test. I was really testing you on your honesty. I wanted to see if you could tell me the truth even though you knew you'd face the consequences if you lost it. And you did. That's why I'm passing you."

"But... I was careless. I lost the necklace when the tide hit me. You said it yourself, it was very precious and..."

"Oh. You mean this one?"

A blue magic circle appeared in Aquadia's hand and then the same necklace that she made before appeared on her hand. I stared dumbly at the necklace in her hand now completely shocked.

"But... but... but... but... but..."

"These are pretty easy to make," chuckled Aquadia as she put the necklace around my neck. "And... I kinda lied about the part where it was precious. I can actually make these no problem. It's okay Willy. You passed. That's all that matters."

I looked at my Mama's smiling face and I could feel myself crying again, but the tears streaming down my face were happy tears. Aquadia smiled and got close to Willy.

"I'm happy to say that there's nothing else I can teach you Willy. I have now taugh you everything I know and I couldn't be more proud of you."

At that moment, I jumped on Aquadia's snout and hugged her as hard as I could. I was overwhelmed with emotion, but I was happy. So very happy. Then I made up my mind.

"Mama. I may have lost the first necklace, but now I promise. I'm gonna keep this one safe. I'll keep it with me no matter what."

Aquadia looked at me and smiled. "Good. Think of it as a present from me. A present as proof of your graduation from being my student."

"Yes!" I said with a big grin on my face as I clutched my necklace.

A little later, Aquadia and I ate dinner and I was getting ready for bed. I stretched and prepared myself for bed, but then I noticed something. Aquadia was staring up at the sky through the hole in our cave. For some reason, she looked sad and deep in thought. I walked over to her.

"Mama? Is something wrong?" I asked.

Aquadia was looked at me and smiled.

"It's nothing Willy. I'm fine." she said shaking her head. "Are you ready for bed?"

"Yes Mama," I said I yawned and stretched. Aquadia then lied down and I climbed on top of her head. As I lied down, I tried to get some sleep, but for some reason I couldn't. I tried making myself comfy, but no matter what I did, I couldn't sleep. I wasn't the only one who was having trouble sleeping either. Aquadia was awake as well. She had to stay up and wait till Willy was asleep in order to use 'you-know-what' Then heard me.

"Mama? Can I ask you something?" I asked.

"What is it Willy?" she replied.

"We're mother and son aren't we?"

"Yes."

"And... we'll always be together won't we?"

Aquadia was silent. Then her head turned to the sky.

"Willy. Let me tell something that someone once told me. You see those stars? I've been told that many creatures that passed on, look down at us from the stars."

"Really?"

"Yes. So from now on whenever you feel alone, I want you to look up at the stars and remember your mama, your papa, and me, we'll always be there with you even if we're far apart."

I stared up at the stars and I nodded.

"Okay Mama. I'll remember." I said.

"Good," said Aquadia and then went back to lying down. I finally started to feel a little sleepy I felt my eyes getting a little heavy. I hugged Aquadia's head and I murmured one more thing before I fell asleep.

"I love you, Mama..."

Then I fell fast asleep.

* * *

Aquadia lied on the floor with Willy fast asleep on her head. Then she heard a voice call out to her.

"Aquadia. It's time."

Aquadia slowly looked up trying not to wake Willy and looked around. There was no one around, but she knew that she heard the voice and who it was.

"Are you sure Grandeney?" she said talking to the voice in her head.

"Yes," replied Grandeney. "I'm using telepathy to communicate now since we're about to go through the Eclipse Gate. If there was a time to use the spell, now would be that time."

"I see," said Aquadia.

There was a moment of silence. Then Grandeney spoke one more time.

"This will be the last time I speak with you. So I just want to say... see you soon."

Aquadia was silent. Then she nodded and Grandeney's voice disappeared from her mind. She slowly sat up and gently lifted Willy off her head with one of her claws and then set him gently on the ground. She then looked at Willy sleeping there then a single tear came from her eye and fell on her face, but she quickly wiped it away. Then she clapped her hands together and began casting the spell. She was enveloped in a blue glow and a magic circle appeared beneath her. As she was casting the spell, Aquadia could feel her eyes starting to get heavy and her body slipping away. They were also filled with tears as she took one last look at Willy before letting the power of the spell take over her body.

"I'm sorry Willy," she said. "You're going to be alone all over again... but please... be strong... I know that someday... you'll find a family and happiness again... happiness...that's even better... than the happiness that we had these past few years... you're a good boy...and... I love you..."

Then Aquadia saw nothing but white as the spell was completed.

* * *

The next morning, I woke up to the sound of chirping birds. I sat up sleepily and stretched. I was expecting to wake up and say good morning to my Mama just like any other day, but... sadly that wasn't to be. For on that day... the day of July 7th in the year of 777... that was the day that Aquadia my second Mama, had vanished without a trace.

 _What will happen to Willy now...? Will he be able to be okay on his own?_

 _To be continued..._


	9. Chapter 9 Into the Forest

OK. This one took a heck of a lot of time to finish because I had a case of writer's block, but here is the next chapter of Willy's Water Days. I do not own Fairy Tail and there might be a reference here and there. Until then... enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 9

Into the Forest

It had been a couple days since that morning. The morning when I first realized that Aquadia had disappeared from my life. I was now walking through the forest trying to find my way. I can still remember what happened that morning...

* * *

It was another morning for me, but this time was different. Instead of feeling the warmth of my Mama's scales like I usually would, I was feeling the cold hardness of the cave floor. I grunted sleepily as I sleepily opened my eyes and sat up. My vision was blurry with nothing, but grayness and the bright blurry yellow circle above me. I rubbed my eyes and everything came into focus. The grayness was the cave I usually see everyday and the bright yellow circle was the sun shining brightly above the hole in the cave, usually close due to me sleeping on my Mama, but for some reason they seemed so far away. I looked around trying to understand what was going on. I was here, but my Mama wasn't anywhere to be seen.

"Hmm. Maybe she went out fishing," I thought. "She could have at least taken me with her. Oh well, guess I better go join her."

I walked out to past the entrance to the cave and headed out to the ocean expecting to find my Mama fishing, but when I got to the shores there was only the crashing waves. I looked around trying to find Aquadia, but there was no sign or trace of her anywhere. I called out to her hoping that she would call to me back, but there was no answer. Then I dove into the water and searched for her below the surface. I swam along the ocean floor and looked everywhere. I searched for her in the reefs, in the caves, and even in the tiniest nook or cranny, but I still couldn't find her. Eventually I got out of the water and searched some more. I looked for her anywhere I could possibly think of, but still I couldn't find Aquadia anywhere.

Eventually my search for her led me back to the cave. I looked inside hoping that she came back while I was looking for her, but sadly my hopes were dashed. The only thing I saw inside that cave was nothing. Nothing but emptiness and the rocks inside it. At that moment, it finally started getting into my head. I didn't want to believe it. I refused to believe it. I couldn't believe it. Aquadia was gone and I was once again all alone. I fell to my knees in shock. Hot tears began to gather in my eyes before they started falling down on my face. Sobs also began to choke out as I started to cry.

"Mama!" I cried. "Mama! Where are you?! Mama! Please Mama! Answer me! Mama!"

The only sound I could hear was the echoes caused my voice reverbating throughout the cave. I screamed and I sobbed and I yelled. I wanted my Mama. I needed my Mama. I didn't want to be all alone like this. All alone in this dark cave without anyone to be with. Not when my Mama wasn't here.

Eventually, the day had turned into night and I was still alone in the cave. I gave up on looking so I did what any other person who had given up do. Absolutely nothing. I lied on the floor curled up in a ball still crying. I was so upset that I didn't even bother to eat or drink anything. Even if I was hungry or thristy, I wouldn't even bother because everything reminded me of my Mama. Fishing, swimming... everything. Everything reminded me of my Mama and I didn't want to think about those things right this minute.

Thousands of questions went through my mind as I lied there. Why did she leave me all alone? What happened to her? Did she abandon me? These questions kept running through my head like a record skipping over and over again. The biggest question that kept popping in my head was this; Where was she? Where was my Mama? The mere question alone made me feel even sadder than before. I hugged my knees tighter as more tears fell from my eyes blurring my vision. I also clutched the necklace, the only thing left that Aquadia left behind, around my neck. It tore me apart being without my Mama. I missed her warmth, her blue scales cradling me everytime I slept on her head, and most of all her smiling face. I could always count on my Mama to give me that smile as a sign that she cares and she loves me. Even when I was feeling down like how I was right now, I could always count on my Mama's smile to cheer me up and I sure could use that smile right now. Unfortunately, I would never be able to see it. I just lied down on the ground and cried. Eventually, I ran out of tears to shed and I stayed up hour after hour, after hour - until at last... I finally fell fast asleep - and then started to dream.

 _I was in my village playing with some of the kids, laughing, having fun, not having a care in the world. It was like heaven on earth. Suddenly all the kids I was playing with disappeared. Then the village was suddenly caught ablaze with fire. The houses all around me were either on fire or were crumbling into nothing, but rubble. The air was now filled with the sounds of destruction as people screamed in terror fleeing for their lives. My eyes widened in horror as I witnessed this hell unfold in front of my eyes. Then you saw my Papa appear in front of my eyes._

 _"Willy... Willy..." he said his eyes meeting mine and he reached out n his hand as if he was trying to get to me, but then a spear burst out from the center of his chest, blood splattering all over the ground in on me._

 _I stared dumbly at the spear that just pierced my Papa and then at the blood on the ground. Then I slowly reached toward my face and swiped the blood._

 _I looked at my hand and my eyes widened. There was no blood. Nothing. Not a single drop was on my hand._

 _"What... what is this..." I mumbled out loud._

 _"WILLY!"_

 _I heard my Papa's voice call out again. I turned to look at him, but he was gone. He just vanished into thin air leaving me standing alone in the chaos of fire and burning rubble. Then I heard another voice._

 _"Willy... my baby boy... my precious boy..."_

 _If my eyes hadn't wide enough, they were now. That voice... I knew it anywhere. It was a voice I knew ever since I was born. A voice that I missed and longed to hear ever since that tragic incident._

 _I turned around and there she was. She was a woman that had fair white skin, long black hair, and wore an expression of sorrow. She was my Mama. My real Mama._

 _"Mama!"_

 _I raced towards her with my hand outstretched to grab her trying to save her from what was coming next._

 _I was too late._

 _A sword pierced through her chest behind her making a fountain of blood gush out of her and covering all over me._

 _"MAMA!"_

 _Ignoring the disgusting feeling of blood all over my body, I ran forward towards her, but she was gone leaving me alone again._

 _I sank to the ground, burying my face in my hands sobbing. No tears came out from my eyes, but I could feel and hear the sobs come out of his mouth. I wanted this nightmare to end. I didn't want to relive this nightmare again. Not again. Not like this._

 _"Please... someone help me... please... SOMEONE HELP ME! MAKE IT STOP! PLEASE! MAKE IT STOP!"_

 _My screams echoed throughout the destruction I was in the middle in. Suddenly as if I said the magic words, there was a faint rumbling sound. The ground trembled below my feet. I looked around trying to find out where it was coming from._

 _Then as soon as I look behind me, I froze. A giant tidal wave towered over the entire village and was heading straight for me. I ran away trying to avoid it, but the wave came closer and closer until it swept me away and crashed into the fierry hell extinguishing the flames. Everything went dark after that._

 _Then I heard a different voice. Another female._

 _"Willy... Willy..."_

 _My eyes open upon hearing the voice. My vision was blurry for a moment, but then it slowly became clearer. I looked around. I was underwater in what seemed to be an endless ocean. Everywhere I looked, I saw nothing but water. It was as if all the hell I went through just now was nothing more but a distant memory. Then I heard the voice again. This time it became louder._

 _"Willy... Willy... can you hear me?"_

 _"Mama? Mama?"_

 _I looked around the water trying to see where Aquadia was, but I saw nothing but water. Then I looked up. A cloud of murky water was forming in the water and in that could I saw a pair of familiar golden yellow eyes looking straight at me._

 _"Mama?" I called out. "Mama is that you?"_

 _The eyes just stared at me. Stared at me as if they were looking at me inside and out. Then I heard the voice again._

 _"You must be strong Willy... be strong..."_

 _"Mama!" I called out. "Tell me where you are! Tell me so I can find you!"_

 _"Be strong Willy... be strong and you will find your family... your true family..."_

 _The was voice started to fade, the murky water began to dissipate and the eyes began to disappear as well. I swam towards her trying to reach her before she disappeared._

 _"Mama wait! Don't go!" I yelled._

 _"Be strong Willy... and find...your true family..."_

 _"Mama!"_

 _Just then I was about to reach the murky cloud of water with the eyes, it disappeared. I was once again left all alone. I floated there trying to comprehend what just happened. What was she taking about? My true family? What did she mean?_

 _Suddenly I heard a swirling noise coming from below me. I looked and I saw a whirlpool. It kept growing bigger and bigger and soon it was close enough to me sucking me into it. I swam as hard as I could trying to get away, but the whirlpool's current was strong and I was soon pulled in. I was whipped around and around tumbling inside it. I was sucked down, down, and down until I saw nothing but darkness._

 _I couldn't see a thing in the darkness. Then suddenly from the darkness, a little blue light glowed in my chest. It grew brighter and brighter until the brightness alone overwhelmed me and saw nothing, but blue as I lost conscious._

I woke up with a start in a cold sweat, my heart pounding and my eyes wide from fright. I looked down and saw my chest was still glowing just like in my dream. Then I realized that it wasn't my chest that was glowing. It was the necklace that Aquadia gave me.

"What...what's going on?!"

I sat up and took off my necklace taking a look at it. It glowed brightly in a bright blue color with the slit in the middle glowing yellow. Then suddenly, I began to see images in my head. Memories of what happened to me in the past. I saw myself with my real parents and then the destruction of my village. Then I saw my myself crying over my mom's dead body and then myself looking up at Aquadia when I first encountered her. Finally I saw myself hugging Aquadia hugging her snout after I passed her test. Then the images stopped and the glow from my necklace slowly died down until it stopped glowing.

I sat there staring at my necklace trying to comprehend what just happened.

"What...was that?" I wondered as I inspected my necklace again.

I tried to think about what had made it start glowing, but I couldn't think of any reason why or how. Then I remembered something about it. It was made out of Aquadia's magic energy. Not to mention I heard her voice inside my dream. Could this be a sign? A sign that was telling me that she was still out there somewhere?

I slowly got up and made my decision.

"I'm gonna find you Mama. I don't care how long it takes. If you're still out there somewhere, I'm gonna find you. I promise. I won't give up hope.

* * *

Ever since then, I've set out on journey. A journey to find Aquadia. I walked along the shore until I found my way to the forest. The forest was deep filled with tall trees with a couple creatures popping up here and there. As I walked along, I could feel some of the creatures staring at me as if they were curious as to what I was doing here in the forest or what I was. I paid no attention and kept on walking. I walked past tree after tree, stone after stone, and creature after creature. It was late in the afternoon and the sun was shining through the trees as I walked along. I was starting to feel tired, hot, and a little thristy and hungry. My stomach let out a growl confirming how hungry I was. It had been a couple days since I left the cave. I may have been able to eat before I left, but now my stomach was on empty.

"I better go sit somewhere and take a break," I thought. "But where..."

I looked all around trying to find something to drink or eat. Anything to restore my strength. Then I came to stop. I heard a voice drifting through the trees. A voice that was singing...? It sounded familiar, like I heard it before. Then my necklace began to emit a blue light again, a little less stronger than the last time. As soon as I looked at it, another memory came into my head. Back when I was with Aquadia when she awakened my magic powers and taught me how to sense water. The singing must have been my water sense kicking in. It seemed to be coming from the direction just east of me. So I started walked toward that direction. But as I started walking toward that direction, the light from my necklace began to die and I started to not hear the singing anymore.

"What the... I'm losing it," I thought. "Am I getting further away from the water?"

What was I doing wrong? Was I mishearing things because I was so thirsty and hungry?

Just close your eyes and listen Willy... Listen with not your ears...listen with your heart...

I looked around a little surprised upon hearing the voice. Was that Aquadia's voice I heard? I looked at the stone on my necklace on my neck and looked at it. I closed my eyes and listened deeply clutching the stone in my fist. There was nothing, but silence. Then, a gentle wind came blowing through the trees and I heard the singing once again and this time I heard it more clearly.

 _Que que na-to-ra_

 _You will understand_

 _Listen with your heart_

 _You will understand_

 _Let it wash upon you_

 _Like a wave upon the sand_

 _Listen with your heart_

 _You will understand_

I could hear the song Aquadia sang to me in my head and the necklace began to glow again. I followed the singing deep into the forest, until I heard a different sound. The sound of running water. I ran towards it and then I was welcomed to the sight of a river.

"Alright!" I thought. "Just what I needed! I'll take a rest here and then I'll get moving again."

I went to the river and put my head into the water. I gulped down the down the water as it filled my mouth. It not only satisfied my thirst, but it made me feel energized. Probably due to the fact that I was a water dragon slayer and drinking water replenishes my power. I lifted my head out of the water and let out a satisfied sigh.

"Haaah... That was good. I feel much better!"

I stretched as I took a look around. Alongside the river there were lots of creatures here, drinking the water or hard at work taking care of their young or building their homes. I saw some deer by the river drinking silently. A mama, a papa, and a baby. It was cute, but it kinda made me feel a little jealous of them. Seeing them together reminded me of myself and my previous parents and that made me feel a little sad.

"Mama... Papa..."

Before I realized it, I felt a stray tear come out of my eye and trickle down my cheek. I wiped it away and looked away from the deer. I had to think about something else to try and get my mind off of things. After sitting there for a while, I decided to drink some more water and move on. I had to find some info on Aquadia and find some real food. At least the water can replenish my strength a little. I dunked my head in the water and drank some more. After I had my fill, I stood up and was just about to start walking when a small green bird like creature zipped right past me and flew up a tree in front of a branch with a small berry on it. It grabbed the berry with it's beak and pulled on the berry on the branch. It wouldn't budge. It pulled and it pulled until it finally came off. It got up and was just about to fly away with it's food, when another creature just like it with a blue color snuck up behind it came up from behind and took the berry from the green one's beak. Not wanting to give up the berry, the green bird creature took the berry back from the blue one. Then both of them tugged at the berry both wanting it for lunch until the green one took it back with a sharp tug.

The green creature chirped with victory thinking that it had won. That is until a yellow bird creature joined in wanting the berry. It attempted to take the berry from the green one's mouth, but the green one wouldn't give it up. Both creatures tugged the berry until they both tugged too hard and made the berry fly up in the air. Both scrambled to to catch the berry, but it slipped out from underneath them. A red then zipped by and nabbed the cherry and hid into a hole in the trunk of a tree. Another bird creature, a brown one who was inside the tree noticed the berry too and joined the fray. They poked out their heads out from the tree the brown one trying to catch the red one and the one red one trying to avoid the brown one like a scene from a cartoon.

I couldn't help, but giggle at this sight. It was pretty cute.

Then the red bird creature slowly came out of the tree thinking that it was safe feet first, but the brown one slowly poked out his head sneaking up on it and he pounced! He pecked on the red one's bottom causing it to squeak in pain letting go of the berry. The berry flew into the air and then fell to the ground. All five of the bird creatures dive bombed onto the berry and ended up in a big pile. The berry somehow slipped out from and rolled in front of a sixth bird like creature. An orange one. The orange one looked at the other five fighting and looked at the berry. Then it silently grabbed the berry and started walked away. At first it thought it was gonna make a clean get away, but then it found itself surrounded by the other five and they didn't look happy.

There was a long pause, then all five of the the bird creatures pounced on the orange one and all of them went into a brawl to get the berry. In the middle of the brawl, the berry popped out from the fight and landed a few feet away from the fight. Then another creature walked past. It had four legs and had the appearance of some kind of reptile. It saw the berry lying there on the ground and thought 'Meh. Might as well eat it if no one wants it' so it ate the berry and kept walking.

The six bird creatures who had now noticed that the berry had been eaten, became very crestfallen. I couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor things. They all must have been starving.

I got up and looked around trying to find some more berries. Then from another branch on a tree, I saw some berries hanging on a branch. I walked up to the tree and focused. Then a blue magic circle with a dragon emblem appeared beneath me and then jets of water shot out from under my feet shooting me upward and landing on the branch with the berries on it. I picked a couple of the berries enough for the creatures to eat and then I jumped off the branch. I then used the jets of water under my feet again to slow down my decent and landed safely on the ground. I kneeled down and walked over to the little creatures and placed the berries in front of them.

"Here you go little guys. Try not to fight each other OK?"

The creatures looked up and when they saw the berries, they immediately chirped with joy and began to eat the berries. I watched them eat with a grin on my face happy that I was able to help. The green one went over to me with a berry in it's beak and offered one to me.

"Aw... It's okay little guy. I'm not hungry. I had my fill in the stream."

I tried to decline, but the little bird creature wouldn't take no for an answer and insisted that I took the berry as a thank you for helping him and it's friends.

"Oh all right I'll take it. Thank you little guy."

I ate the berry and the bird creature returned with it's friends to eat. I then turned and walked away from the stream and back into the trees once more, resuming my journey. I wish I could have taken some of the berries from the tree myself, but I wasn't really hungry. After all I had my fill of water so I should've been fine. Or so I thought. After a few more feet of walking, my stomach started to grumble.

"Oh now you start complaining," I said to my gut a little annoyed. "Wish you would've told me sooner... Oh great. Now I'm talking to my belly. (sigh) OK. Stay focused Willy. You have to find Aquadia. Even though I have no idea where to start looking."

I continued to walk through the trees trying to not to think about being hungry, but due to the constant complaining of my stomach it was a little difficult. I just kept on thinking about Aquadia and how I was going to find her no matter what. Eventually my walking took me to a darker part of the forest. The trees were so tall and big that they completely blocked out the sunlight. It gave the forest a bit of a foreboding and spooky feel making me feel a little bit uneasy. I carefully walked past tree by tree being ready to use my magic if anyone were to attack me. I walked for what seemed to be hours and hours until I heard a noise.

"Who's there?!"

I snapped my head towards the left of where I heard the noise. There was nothing there. I heard the sound again and I snapped my head to the right. Again, there was nothing there.

"Come out! Show yourself!"

I yelled out trying to be brave, but my body was trembling slightly. I kept telling myself to stop being so scared, but my body refused to listen. It instinctively told me, danger! Run away! Get of there now! I slowly walked backwards unaware of where I was walking into. Then I felt something fall on my shoulder. It was just a tree branch, but to me it felt like a demons hand. I looked at my shoulder and when I saw demon like branch, I screamed and immediately broke into a sprint with my eyes closed wanting to get away as soon as possible.

I raced through bushes, past trees and past rocks until I saw something few feet ahead. A little speck of light. In my haste of fear, I ran straight toward the light. My lungs felt tired from all the running and lack of food and my stamina was waning, but I didn't dare stop. I kept on running until I took a giant leap and jumped straight into the light.

When I did I felt myself falling. Then I kissed the ground face first and I was tumbling around and around feeling hurt every time I bounced on the hard ground. Eventually I came rolling to a stop with my face planted into the ground on top of a mound of leaves with my body in a scorpion. I got out of my scorpion and sat up spitting out dirt. My upper body was covered in dirt with a few cuts and scrapes and my lip was busted open oozing with a little blood, but other than that I was pretty much fine. It did hurt though.

"Ow...that hurts..." I said as I felt my lip and looked at the blood that was on my hand. I wiped it off on my shorts and clapped my hands together. My hands started to glow blue and slowly started to spread on my body until my body was glowing in a bright blue. The cuts and scrapes that I had just received including my busted up all slowly started to disappear. Even my lip which was swollen with a big gash, slowly went down and closed up. Eventually I was all healed up and as good as new.

"Whew... That took some magic power and water, but I'm as good as new."

Yup. It was a good thing Aquadia taught me how to use healing magic. It was a good thing to know if you were stuck, hurt, and without anyone to treat you. The only downside was that it took some magic power and water inside my body depending on the injuries.

I straightened up and looked around. I seemed to have tumbled down a hill and was now at an open part of the forest. I stood up and looked around trying to decide which direction should I go, but then the mound of leaves I was standing on began to move then suddenly I heard a deep groan.

"That...doesn't sound good."

Suddenly the mound of leaves began to move and rise up from the ground forcing me off and sending me to the ground. I looked up and I saw that the mound of leaves turned out to be a creature I have never seen before. It was some kind of green primeape with a purple chest, ears, hands, and face. The lower half of the body was a darker shade of green and it had five pink hearts on it's arms. The one thing that really made my heart stop was it's pupiless eyes. They seemed to glow as it stared me down in anger.

For those of you who don't know, this type of creature is a forest vulcan aka the gorian. They're pretty big and they're not exactly well know for being friendly. For now, we'll call this one the gorian.

"Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing?" The gorian growled.

"I... I... um...uh..." I stammered a little taken aback that the creature could speak.

"You woke me up from my nap you little punk! Not to mention you stood on me! You're gonna pay for that!"

"I'm...s-s-sorry sir! I didn't mean to..." I began to apologize, but then the gorian swung down one of it's fists straight at me. Luckily I was barely able to roll out of the way before I could get smashed.

"Forget it! I don't need your apology! I'm gonna beat you up and have you for lunch!" Thr gorian said with a predatory grin on his face.

My face paled as the gorian cracked his knuckles and prepared to pound me. Then once again, I broke into a full sprint with even more energy than I ever had before with the gorian hot on my heels.

"Hey! Get back here so I can bash your face in punk!" It roared.

I could hear the gorian's footsteps thumping on the ground behind me as it chased me. As if I hadn't ran enough. If someone was trying to set me up for an exercise program, this was the worst way to do it!

I kept on running and running and then the worst thing just happened... I started getting tired and I fumbled my legs a little. Then I felt something hit on my side and everything seemed spinning. After that, I slammed into something hard and I slid slowly to the ground.

The gorian caught me when I fumbled and hit me with it's giant fist and I was sent flying into a tree.

"Ha! Got you, you little runt!" The gorian gloated with a sly grin on it's face.

Groaning a little, I unsteadily got up on my feet and saw on the side of my arm was a spectacular bruise in a sickly purple color. I turned my attention to the gorian which was now coming towards me ready to beat me some more. I struggled to my feet leaning my body up against the tree.

"Heh. So you're still getting up eh? That means I can beat you around some more."

Damn it...things didn't look good for me. If I didn't do something fast, I was going to get beaten to a pulp. Or worse.

Then I realized... I completely forgot. I was a dragon slayer. I could use magic! I'm a dragon slayer darn it! I didn't know how much magic power I had left considering I haven't eaten in a while and the only things I had was a few gulps of water and a berry, but I sure as hell wasn't gonna let that gorian beat me!

Ignoring the pain from my arm, I stepped away from the tree and got into a fighting stance. I let my anger against this creature and my magic power surge through me as I started to glow in a slight blue color. The gorian stopped.

"What the..?"

"You had your fun monster! Now it's my turn!"

"Oh? Talking big eh? Well let's see where that big talk gets you after I pound your face in!"

The gorian let out a yell as it charged at me foaming at the mouth. It raised it's fist and brought it to the ground where I was standing. I immediately jumped up making the blow miss me. The ground shook and cracked a little from the impact.

"What the... Where'd he go?" the gorian said trying to find me.

While I was in the air, I used the power in my body and cloaked my hands in water and released a shockwave of water at the gorian.

"WATER DRAGON WING ATTACK!"

The attack hit the gorian square on making it slide back from the impact.

"What the hell?! This kid can use magic?!" it grunted gaining it's footing.

Not giving it a chance to react I attacked again. I ran toward the gorian while my legs were enveloped in water. I jumped and gave the gorian a powerful kick on it's abdomen.

"WATER DRAGON TALON!"

The gorian felt the wind get knocked out of him as he was once again sent sliding back. When it gained it's footing, he glared at me with it's eyes glowing in anger.

"OK kid! You're starting to piss me off! Now I'm really mad!" it growled.

It came at me running like an enraged bull that got branded in the butt. I attempted to attack, but the gorian was able to get to me first and sent me flying again with a mighty kick.

"How did you like that punk?!" The gorian laughed as I was heading straight to a tree, but this time I didn't slam into it. I flipped myself and planted my feet on the tree that I almost slammed into. Using it as a spring board, I launched myself shooting water from my feet and shot forward like a rocket straight at the gorian and then making my hand covered in water.

"What the...?"

"Eat this! WATER DRAGON AQUA JET combined with...WATER DRAGON IRON FIST!"

My iron fist slammed into the gorian's face filled with the power and the momentum I had gained. The gorian was sent flying and crashed into a couple of trees and onto the ground knocked out in a heap.

"Hahaha... how'd...you like that you...beast...?" I said a little weak from the adrenaline.

I fell on one knee and struggled to catch my breath. I'm pretty sure that I used up every bit of magic that I had, so now I was feeling weak and a little dehydrated. I had to find some water fast before that gorian got back up and starts coming after me again.

I struggled as I got back up on my feet and weakly limped away from the vulcan as fast I as could. Pretty soon, I was far enough away from the gorian and took a rest by a tree.

"Man...I guess that fight took more out of me than I thought..." I thought to myself. "I need water...and fast...I don't know how much longer I can keep this up..."

I breathed heavily as I tried to catch my breath. My arm was still sore and bruised and it hurt like crazy. Not to mention I was weak in he first place, so I probably didn't think this one through. My vision became a little blurry as the weakness and fatigue became stronger. I tried to stay awake, but I couldn't. All I could do was lean against the tree and let the weakness take over my body.

Yes...I need...to sleep...I'll feel better...after some sleep...

Feeling tired and weak...I closed my eyes...and eventually fell unconscious...

 _Don't worry folks! Willy's gonna be OK_

 _Hopefully... Stay tuned for the next chapter! Be sure to leave me a review!_


	10. Chapter 10 Osia

_Here we are at Chapter 10!_

 _Enjoy! And don't be afraid to leave a review!_

* * *

Chapter 10

Osia

I don't know how long I was unconscious, but I'm pretty sure it must have been a long time. For when I came to, I was still lying against the tree from where I sitting. I slowly opened my eyes and looked around. Everything in the forest around me was dark with the only light being the bright stars twinkling and the white glow of the moon, all glowing above me.

"It must be nighttime by now," I thought. "Guess I slept for quite a while."

I unsteadily got up on my feet, my body feeling like jelly. As I did, I felt a dull aching pain on my arm. I looked and I saw the big bruise I had from my fight with the gorian. The imprint was still there and it was still a purple color. It made me cringe just from looking at it.

"Man. That creature hit me hard..." I thought. "I better use a healing spell."

So I placed my hand on the bruise and I started to the spell. As I cast the spell I started to glow, but the glow was faint and weak. It was like a candle slowly dying out from the wind. I looked at my bruise to see if it was healing. Sadly it wasn't. Due to me not having much magic power or water, the spell was barely working. All it was doing was numbing the pain and only healing my bruise a little. Eventually I felt weak from just using it and I stopped using the spell. The bruise was slightly less purple, but still looked bad.

"Darn it... I'm too weak to cast a complete spell..." I thought. "I don't have enough magic power or water in my body. I need water right now...or at least some food..."

To make matters worse, casting that spell made me feel even weaker. I even felt a little nauseous and wanted to puke, but I held it in. Then after a few minutes of rest, I started walking again. I walked through the endless darkness with the moon and stars being my only light. Most people would have keeled over by what I was going through, but for me, there was one thing keeping me walking and that was finding Aquadia. I told myself that I would find her no matter what and that was what I was gonna do. Even if I had to starve myself to death. Well... hopefully it won't get to that point.

Anyway as I walked through the forest, my stomach growled wanting food.

"I know... I know... I hear you. You can stop complaining you know... Oh great... I'm talking to my stomach. I'm practically going crazy with hunger. I gotta find something to eat now before I keel over..."

I made my way past bushes and trees once more, walking through the endless night. I listened to the sound of the wind blowing through the forest as well the sound of crickets and other creatures. You would think it was a little creepy to me considering that before when I was walking through the dark part of the forest, but for some reason it didn't seem so scary. It was actually kinda peaceful. If only I wasn't starving to death to enjoy it.

Suddenly I heard a noise which made me turn around behind me.

"Who's there?"

No one answered. I slowly turned back around and started walking. I heard the noise again. This time, it sounded closer.

"Oh no, not again... Why does it always have to be something that comes after me? Is this ever gonna end?"

I should have started running, but thanks to my bruises, hunger, and complete lack of water, I couldn't run or even power walk. All I could do was walk. The sound grew closer and closer until something came out from the trees. It zipped past my head and then turned around and came flying straight for me.

I braced myself and prepared to fight if I had to, but then I noticed something. The thing that came at me was a lot smaller than I expected. It was about the size of a small bird and for some reason looked familiar. Then the thing came into the light and I saw it. It was the green bird like creature that I helped out before. It slowly came down and landed right at my feet.

"I know you... You're the little guy I helped out before with the berry right?"

The bird creature nodded and smiled at me. I couldn't help, but smile at it as I kneeled down and gently stroked it's head.

"You rascal... you scared the heck out of me. You nearly gave me a heart attack."

The bird like creature nuzzled it's head against my hand apologetically.

"Aww... it's OK... you just surprised me is all."

Then once again, my stomach began to growl very loudly. The bird like creature jumped a little in surprise thinking I was going to attack it.

"Oops... sorry about that little guy. I'm just hungry is all. Hey. I don't suppose that you got another berry on you do you?"

The bird like creature shook it's head.

"I figured not. Oh well. I guess I better keep moving. I can't exactly sleep since I'm wide awake now, but I need to find some food and water or at least a place to stay, but where? There's nothing but trees around here."

Then the bird like creature began to fly around me trying to get my attention.

"What is it? Are you... trying to tell me something?"

The bird like creature let out a caw while it hovered in front of me. At first I didn't know what it was trying to tell me. I mean I didn't speak bird or whatever this creature was, but then I started to understand.

"Do you... want to help me?"

The bird like creature nodded and flew into a tree. It sat on a branch and then it pointed at a direction with it's wing.

"You... know a place where I can stay?"

The bird like creature cawed again and nodded and my face lit up a little bit. It was almost too good to be true.

"Seriously?! You do? Please... will you take me there?"

The bird like creature squawked and nodded then it took flight and I followed close behind it. I had no idea where the bird like creature was leading me, but it was better than wandering around aimlessly completely lost. Plus it was nice to have some company for once.

I walked past trees, rocks, and other creatures as I kept my eye on the bird like creature flying above my head. I was feeling tired and weak with hunger and dehydration, but I kept on walking. Hopefully it would all be worth it once I have arrived to my destination. Wherever it may be.

Pretty soon, the bird like creature came dipped down from the air and then landed by a bush by some overgrown branches. It cawed and pointed at the branches with it's wing. I pushed the branches out of the way and looked through them.

I couldn't believe my eyes. There a few miles away in the distance on was a town. A freaking town! My eyes immediately lit up and I had a big grin on my face. I was saved! All thanks to this little bird creature. You took it into my arms and hugged it gently close to my face. Also, even though I was feeling dehydrated, a single tear of joy fell down my face.

"Thank you... thank you so much... you saved me little guy... thank you..."

The little bird creature cawed and nuzzled against my face as it's way of saying 'your welcome.' Then it flew away up to the trees until it was out of sight. Now that I had a place to go, I headed for the town with the hopes that I would be able to get some food, water, and a place to sleep.

As I approached the town, I was expecting to finally get something to eat or drink or at least get some rest, but then the weakness that I left before came back. My vision began to blur slightly and my legs started to feel like jelly. My body had finally had enough of walking around without any energy. It needed rest yesterday.

I looked around and tried to find a place to sleep. Then I saw an old abandoned building. It didn't look like there was any people in it nor did I hear anyone so I went inside. It didn't even matter to me if there was people there or not. I just wanted to rest.

Inside there wasn't anything much, just an open room with an upper platform of hay. There were also strange shadows in front of me, but I just walked past them. I climbed up the ladder and lied down on the hay. It surprisingly felt very warm and soft and had a distinct scent that I liked. It wasn't anything fancy like a bed, but it was gonna have to do. Frankly I didn't care. All I needed was a place to rest. I lied on the hay and before I knew it, I had fallen fast asleep.

* * *

 **NO POV**

The next morning, the sun was shining and the birds were chirping. Everyone in town was starting to awake up and getting ready for a brand new day. An man came out of his house and called out to his wife.

"OK hon! I'm gonna go out and feed the cows OK?"

"OK then!" a woman called inside.

The man headed to the barn and opened the door. He greeted his cows with a pat and headed over to a lever. The lever is what releases the hay to feed the cows. The man pulled on the lever and the hay dropped down in the trough in front of the cows. Normally the hay rustling as it was dumped in the troughs was music to the man's ears, but today he heard a different sound.

Thud!

"What the... what was that?" the man wondered.

The man looked at the trough and his eyes went wide with shock and surprise. There lying on one of the troughs was a little boy. The man rubbed his eyes and opened them to check to see if he was seeing things, but he wasn't.

"What the heck is a boy doing in my barn?" the man said slightly annoyed. "Hey kid. Nap times over. Get up."

The boy didn't respond. The man went over to the boy and shook him trying to wake him up, but then he saw the bruise. He also saw how pale and how cold he felt.

"Holy shit! This kid needs help! Jessica! Call a medic!" the man yelled running back to the house.

* * *

 **WILLY'S POV**

The first thing that I became aware of was a cold feeling on my arm. When I opened my eyes, I found myself lying on a bed in a small room staring up at a green ceiling. I stared up at the ceiling for a minute and then I slowly sat up and looked out the window. I saw a city made entirely out of stone with buildings from what I could see with the view. I rubbed my eyes and happened to take a look at myself. My arm was wrapped in gauze and I was wearing a white gown of some kind. I must admit it felt better wearing different clothes than the ones I was wore, but at the same time it felt strange.

"Where...the heck am I?" I thought.

Then the door of the room opened. I looked to see a young man with short orange hair stepping into the room. He was wearing some kind of white coat and had a stethoscope around his neck which meant that he was a doctor. The man that came in saw me sittting up on my bed smiled kindly.

"Ah. Look who's finally up." the man said with relief. "You gave us quite a scare there young man."

"Um..." I was about to speak, but then I felt an itch in my throat and I started to cough. The doctor went to the sink and filled a cup of of water and handed it to me.

"Here. This should help that dry throat."

I took the cup and I gulped the water down greedily. When I finished drinking, I let out a contented sigh feeling refreshed. The doctor then walked towards me and placed the stethoscope on my chest checking my heartbeat.

"How are you feeling today buddy?" he asked. "You feeling better?"

"Um... Better. I think, " I replied.

The doctor smiled as he recovered the stethoscope from my chest. Then he placed his stethoscope on my back listening to my heartbeat again.

"That's good," the doctor said. "I was getting worried about you. After all, you've been out for quite a while."

"What happened to me?" I asked. "How long have I been unconscious? And where am I?"

"To answer all of your questions," the doctor replied. "I have no idea. You were found in Old Man Johnny's barn in the hay. You were completely starved and dehydrated. Also you've been unconscious for almost two weeks now, and you're in a town called Osia."

I stared blankly at the doctor a little overwhelmed at having my questions answered so quickly and what he said. "I... was unconscious for two weeks?"

The doctor nodded.

"Yes. Your hydration level was very low and you almost looked like skin and bones," the doctor said, "In fact, you were lucky Old Man Johnny found you. If he hadn't you would've died from malnutrition."

The mere thought of almost dying made cringe a little. He was right though. I was lucky to be alive right now. I didn't even wanted to think about what would have happened if I hadn't been found by the old man the doctor mentioned.

"In any case, I'm glad you're feeling better," the doctor said as he continued examining me. "I am surprised that a little boy like you came into a place like this. You're certainly not from here. Tell me, where are you from?"

Hearing the doctor's question made me think about my village which made me feel a little uncomfortable for answering it. The doctor answered again as he bobbed a rubber hammer on my knees making them jerk a little.

"Well the reason why I ask is because that we should probably give your parents a call. They must be worried sick wondering where you're at."

I squeezed my hands in my lap upon hearing that question. Then memories of my mother and father as well as Aquadia came into my head making me remember the pain and suffering I went through for losing them.

"I... I... I don't have any parents," I mumbled. "I'm all by myself."

The doctor stopped. He looked at me with surprise and concern written on his face. I simply turned away and avoided his gaze. There was a brief silence before the doctor resumed the exam once more.

"Well, I'll try not to pry about it," said the doctor, "but if you ever need to talk, feel free to talk to me about it and I'll try do whatever I can to help you. Okay?"

The doctor placed his hand on my shoulder which made me look up at him. His face had a smile of kindness which helped me ease up a little. Then the doctor went to my arm which was bandaged up with gauze.

"Okay. Now I'm going to check on your arm now. Sorry that it was bandaged up without asking, but I had to cover it with gauze so it wouldn't feel the extreme cold of the ice pack that was applied," he said, "I'm gonna take it off now. Let me know if anything hurts okay?"

I answered with short nod and the doctor proceeded by removing the gauze on my arm. It didn't hurt, but it still felt cold.

"You had quite a bruise on your arm. May I ask how you got it?" the doctor asked.

"I... was fighting some strange creature in the forest," I told him, "It got mad at me when I fell on top of it and then it attacked me."

The doctor stared at me in surprise. "What did this creature look like?"

"Let's see...," I said thoughtfully trying to remember what the creature looked like. "It was big, had giant arms and tiny legs, looked like a monkey, green with a purple chest and face and it also had pupiless eyes."

If the doctor wasn't surprised before, he certainly was now. His eyes went wide like saucers and he stopped unwrapping my bandage.

"A gorian?! You got into a fight with a gorian?! A little boy like you?!" the doctor gasped. "How were you able to beat it?!"

"Well it certainly wasn't easy," I said with a slight chuckle. "That gorian or whatever you called was pretty tough. I had to resort to using my magic to beat it."

"Ah," said the doctor as he resumed undoing the bandage looking a bit more calm. "That explains a lot. I was wondering how a kid like you could have beaten a monster like that."

Then the doctor removed my bandage. It was still purple, but it looked better than it did before. The doctor inspected it.

"Hmm. Let's see... it's still purple, but it's getting better," he said. "I think a couple more days of rest should do you fine. At least until that bruise heals up."

"That won't be necessary," I said. "I can just use my magic to heal it."

The doctor laughed. "Hahaha. If only that were possible. Sadly, that kind of spell is a lost magic. No one's ever been able to do such a..."

Suddenly when the doctor turned back to face me, he gasped in surprise to see that I was using my healing spell to heal the bruise on my arm. My hands were glowing a bright blue and I was in deep concentration trying to muster up some energy.

"Hey. Take it easy kid," the doctor said trying to stop me from using me spell. "You still haven't fully recovered yet. Even if you know magic, you shouldn't be using it in your condition."

"Just... a little more..." I said trying not to lose my focus, but I started to get that weak heavy feeling again. Not being able to keep it up any longer, so I had no choice but to stop using the spell. I lied back on my bed feeling a little weak and tired.

"I told you," the doctor said. "You may be raring to go, but your body isn't. You need to give it time to recover."

I wanted to argue back with the doctor, but my body felt too weak to answer. To add to that, my stomach grumbled a little making blush bright pink. I had no choice, but to listen.

"OK fine." I mumbled pouting a little.

The doctor chuckled and ruffled my hair a little.

"Good. And don't worry. I'll have the nurse see that you get some food. You are hungry right?"

My stomach answered in response and my mouth began to drool. "Yes! I mean...um sure. I could eat."

The doctor chuckled. "Very well then. Now, I have to get back to my duties. I'll stop by again sometime to check up on you okay."

I nodded as the doctor left the room. As he opened the door, he stopped and looked back towards me.

"By the way, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Finn. Doctor Finn."

"Willy." I said back. "Willy Falconer."

"It's pleasure to meet you Willy," Finn said.

Then as Finn was about to leave the room, his eyes went wide again. This time he was staring at me like he saw a ghost.

"Is... there something wrong Mr. Finn?" I asked him a little worried.

Finn shook his head shaking the cobwebs out of his mind and gave me a quick smile. "No, it's nothing. Don't worry. Just lie down and get some rest."

And then Finn left the room shutting the door behind him. As soon as he closed the door let out a sigh and wiped his brow.

"I... I don't believe it..." he muttered. "Did I... imagine it?"

I didn't realize it at the time, but Finn happened to look at my bruise again. This time, my bruise was even less purple than it was before and it even shrunk a little. That was the reason why he stared at me before. Then a nurse came down into the hallway and came across Finn.

"Hello doctor. Is there something wrong?" she asked.

"No. It's nothing," said Finn. "Just do me a favor. Make sure you keep an eye on that boy OK? Make sure he gets plenty of rest nurse."

"Will do sir," answered the nurse and went on her way leaving Finn by himself still thinking about what he just saw.

"That bruise on his arm... it was purple a moment ago, but now it's almost completely gone. But how...? It must have been when that boy's hands were earlier...but that would mean... "

The doctor thought and he thought and he thought some more, but then another nurse came up to Finn.

"Doctor Finn. There you are."

"What is it nurse?" asked Finn. "Something you needed?"

"Yes. I have a message for you," the nurse said as she handed him a note. "The person who sent it to you told me to send it to you as soon as I could. It was also important."

"Thank you nurse," said Finn. He took the note, opened it and quickly read it. When he finished reading, he put the note away and sighed to himself. "Looks like she wants to see me," he thought. "I guess now will be a good time as any to tell her what's going on. I better get there straight away after I get off."

* * *

A little later, Finn had just gotten off of work and left the hospital. He was wearing his causal attire in the form of a t-shirt and a pair of jeans. He walked down past a cafe, a store, and then a fruit vender stacking up some fruit. When he saw Finn, he smiled, waved at him, and spoke in a Scottish accent.

"Hey! Finn me lad! How ya doin'?"

Finn smiled back. "I'm doing great Cameron. Thanks for asking."

"Heading for you-know-what as always?"

"You know it."

"Well then, since you'll be heading for that place, have a little something on the house boyo."

The man named Cameron threw an apple to Finn and Finn caught it.

"Thanks Cameron. Much appreciated," said Finn as he went on his way eating the apple.

Finn kept walking while nibbling on his apple until he was close to the edge of town. Then he walked down a path that led towards the edge of the forest. Wherever he was going, he didn't want to be followed or noticed by anyone. Soon Finn came to the edge of the forest. He looked around and made sure no one was around. Then he resumed his walk entering the darkness of the forest. He walked in the forest for quite some time until he came to a running stream. He followed the stream until the stream led to a lake and there was Finn's destination. There floating a few feet away from him was a floating dojo. It looked like one of those palaces you hear about in a fairy tail.

"Whew. Finally. I really wish that this place could be a little . Then again, I guess it's good exercise for me. Well then, don't want to keep her waiting."

Finn closed his eyes and a blue magic circle appeared on his back. Then a pair of wings made of water appeared on his back and with a mighty flap, he took flight. He flew across the water until he was in front of the door of the dojo. He landed gently on the floor and his wings disappeared as well. He came up to the door and gently knocked.

"Hello master? It's me."

There was brief pause, then Finn opened the door and went inside. Inside was one big room with a giant pool in the middle. In the middle of the pool, there stood a wise old woman standing in the middle of the pool. She was on top of what looked like a staff and was immersed in deep meditation. Finn quietly entered and shut the door behind him not wanting to disturb the woman. He walked to the edge of the pool and bowed with his hands together.

"Master. You wished to see me?"

The wise old woman who Finn called master remained motionless not saying a word. She slowly opened her eyes and then slowly turned around and face Finn. She leaped off from her staff and dove straight toward the water. Now any normal person would be expect something like this. A person dives into the water and then he or she disappears beneath the water right? Well, not this time. Before the wise old woman could hit the water, she landed on the water and stood on top of the it like it was the ground itself. Then she walked across towards Finn.

"Is there something wrong of me wanting to see an old friend of mine Finn?" she asked.

"No. I suppose not master," said Finn chuckling. "I just got your message and I was wondering why you wanted to see me is all."

"All in good time Finn. First, would you like some tea? You did come all this way after all."

"Sure. I'd love some," said Finn.

A little later, Finn and the wise old woman were sitting in a separate room quietly sipping their tea.

"(sigh). Your tea is quite delicious as usual master," said Finn. "Now then... as you were saying. Why have you called me here?"

The old woman sipped her tea and gently set her cup down. Then she spoke. "I have had a premonition. Zeref the dark wizard will awaken."

Finn's face paled as white as a sheet. "What?! That's impossible! No one has seen him in years!"

"Nothing is impossible," said the old woman. "He will awaken."

"Then we must do something!" said Finn standing up making the table jolt and the tea on the table spill slightly. "We can't just sit here! We must..."

"Calm down Finn," said the old woman calmly. "Your mind is like this tea right now. See how it looks agitated inside this cup? When it becomes like this, it becomes difficult to see. But if you allow it to settle, then the answer will become clear. Which brings me to the second part of my premonition."

The old woman gently dipped a tea spoon into her tea and the tea settled.

"Second part?" wondered Finn.

"Yes. An individual with the spirit of a dragon will become my student and master my techniques obtaining a great power. However at the same time, this individual will also obtain another power. A power that will tempt and threaten that person to fall to the side of evil and thus make that person evil. Both of these powers will take a part of this person's life making either a force for good or a harbinger of evil. Whatever path this person may choose, either way, somehow, someway, that person will change the lives of many and the world.

Finn stared at the old woman taking in everything the old man said. "I see," he said. "And who is this certain individual?"

"You should know who it is already," the old woman replied. "He's sitting right at your clinic isn't he?"

"What? I don't know who you mean." said Finn a little puzzled. "There are many people at my clinic. Are you saying that one of them will become your student?"

"Let's just say a little birdie told me who it is. Besides you'll figure it out about it soon," the old woman said cheekily. Then as if on cue, a certain green bird creature flew in and landed next to the old man. When Finn saw the bird, he let out an annoyed sigh.

"Master. I've told you many times, I don't want Jade spying on me or the people on my clinic."

The old woman chuckled and petted the green bird creature. "She wasn't spying. She was just checking on the person who I saw."

"Wait a sec... You and Jade know who it is don't you master? And the person is sitting right in my clinic? Tell me who it is!" demanded Finn.

"All in good time Finn, all in good time," said the old woman. "Like I said before, you'll find out who it is eventually."

"But who master? Besides me who is worthy enough to learn your skills, master your techniques and to be trusted with your legacy?"

The old woman looked to the ceiling deep in thought. After a brief moment of thinking, she answered with a shrug; "I don't know."

"You don't know?" sighed Finn flatly. "I see. Well in any case, I best be going. No doubt there's gonna be more work at the clinic when I come back. Thanks for the tea master."

Then Finn left the room leaving the old man alone with Jade. She gently stroked Jade's head.

"Oh Jade. If only he knew," the old woman said to Jade. "So anything interesting happen today?"

Jade squawked and chirped in response as the old man listened to Jade's response.

"Interesting... I see... Are you sure? Hmm... intriguing. Well then... it looks like my premonition is starting coming to true. (chuckles) Looks like we're going to pay Finn's clinic a visit tomorrow eh Jade?"

Jade squawked and chirped in response as the old woman looked out the window towards the sky which was now dark and filled with twinkling stars.

* * *

 _Hmm... interesting. Wonder what the old woman could mean?_

 _Don't forget to leave a review or if you have any questions for me!_

 _Dragoman out!_


	11. Chapter 11 Being There

_Here's the next chapter! Hope you guys like!_

* * *

Chapter 11

Being There

NO POV

The very next day, Finn got dressed and headed for the clinic ready for his usual job. Everything was the same as usual. The clinic was bustling and everyone of the nurses and doctors were working hard tending to the patients. When he walked in, he was greeted by a nurse.

"Good morning Doctor Finn. Bright and early as usual."

"Good morning nurse," replied Finn. "What's on the docket for today?"

"Well..." said the nurse thoughtfully. "You have a couple check ups with some patients, including Mr. Wickles and Mrs. Barneby."

"I see, " said Finn. "By the way, how's Willy getting along? He doing okay?"

"Oh. You must mean that boy that Johnny found in his barn," said the nurse. "Yes, he's doing just fine. After eating some food and water, he felt much better than he did before. Although..."

"Although..?" asked Finn venturing for an answer.

"Well... I did what you told me and I searched for the boy's parents, but I couldn't find anything. Then I came across this." She pulled out a newspaper with big headlines that said 'Southern Village Slaughtered!' When Finn saw the paper, he was surprised and puzzled seeing this.

"What does this have to do with Willy?" he asked.

"Just read it and you'll see," replied the nurse.

Finn was silent for a brief pause, then he read the paper. It was about how an entire village was completely destroyed the adults all killed and the children completely. But the one thing that caught Finn's eye was a part that read about a potential survivor. When Finn finished reading, he was at a loss for words.

"I take it you understand now?" said the nurse quietly. "I'm starting to think that... the reason why..."

Finn looked back at the paper deep in thought. He started to understand as to why I wouldn't talk much about my parents or about where I was from. He knew that I told him that my parents were gone, but he never could have imagined this.

"Are you sure about this nurse?" he asked.

"I'm not sure," she replied. "But it does make some kind of sense. It's the only logical explanation. The only way we can find out for sure is that if WIlly tells us himself."

Finn was silent, then he made a decision.

"All right then. I'll see if I can try to get Willy to talk to me during his check up."

"Sounds good to me. I'll leave you to it," said the nurse. "Anyway, I'll see you later Doctor."

"Take care."

And with that, the nurse and Finn separated Finn going one way towards my room and the nurse going another.

WILLY'S POV

I had just woken up in my bed after getting a full day of rest. It was cool that I was able to find a place to stay, but to be honest, I missed being outside. At least I was was able to swim a little during my little adventure in the forest. I wanted to get out of bed and start swimming again. Just not being near water made feel depressed. Just then there was a knock on my door. I looked towards the door drawing my attention before the door opened and Finn came in.

"Good morning Willy. How are you this morning?"

"Oh. Hello Mr. Finn. I'm fine. Thanks for asking." I replied slightly bowing.

"You feeling any better today?" asked Finn.

"Yes. Much better thank you. I feel like my old self again. All I needed was some food, water, and a good rest." I said.

"Glad to hear it. At the rate you're going, you'll be out of this hospital feeling better in no time."

"I guess..." I replied. "But to be honest, I wanna leave right now. I'm getting a little tired of staying in bed like this."

"I see," chuckled Finn. "I understand. You wanna get up and moving again, but you have to take it easy."

"I know," I said. "So how much longer do I have to stay in here?"

"Well... considering the fact that you're feeling better right now, I'd say about another day or so," said Finn.

I know that to some people, another day in hospital doesn't seem like a big deal, but to me it seemed like an eternity, but I said nothing. Finn then got out his stethoscope and started examining me once again. He did the basic stuff; checking my mouth, my reflexes, and my heartbeat. Then he went on to check on my bruised arm which was looking better. Soon he finished the examination.

"All right then," Finn said straightening up. "That should do it. Another day of rest and you'll be out of this hospital in no time."

Then as Finn went towards the trash can to throw away the popsicle stick used for my tongue, he set down the newspaper given to him by the nurse. I happened to take a look at it and boy did I wish I didn't. When I saw the headlines; 'Southern Village Slaughtered!' my body froze and the memories of back then resurfaced in my mind. I started to tremble and my heart felt like it stopped.

"All right then, that should do it for..." Finn began to say, but then saw my horror stricken face. "Willy? Willy?! Willy snap out of it! Willy!"

Finn shook me lightly until I finally snapped out of my daze.

"Willy?! What's wrong? Are you OK?"

"I'm... I'm sorry. It was nothing. I'm fine," I said hastily shaking my head before looking away. "I thought that I saw... a rat. Yeah... thought I saw a rat. I guess it was nothing."

Finn had a skeptical look on his face. He had never had rats in his clinic and he certainly didn't see one.

"Willy? Is there something wrong?" he asked.

"Oh no, it's nothing," I said trying not to sound sad.

"Are you sure?" asked Finn. "Because it looks to me that you look like you saw something..."

"I'm fine," I interrupted looking away from him desperately trying to hold in my emotions.

Finn had no idea why I was acting this way. Then he saw the newspaper that he had set aside and then looked back at me.

"So that's it," he thought. "It looks like the nurse's theory was true."

Then he walked over to the side of my bed, pulled out a chair and sat down.

"Willy? Would you mind listening to a story?"

I didn't answer, but Finn didn't stop.

"A few years ago, there was a little boy. He had a loving and caring family. His mom was a kind and gentle woman and his father was a strong and nice man. They all lived together in another part of the continent in a peaceful town by the forest. They all lived happily together without a care in the world."

I squeezed my hands on the sheets still not looking at Finn. I didn't want to hear any of what Finn was saying.

"But then all of that changed," continued Finn. "You see... a dark guild attacked the village."

My eyes opened upon hearing this and I finally turned to him as Finn continued his story.

"The attack hit us before they had a chance to react. Everything was completely destroyed from the people to the homes they lived in. Fires burned, buildings crumbled and people were killed. When the magic council arrived, everything was gone. Everything except for the little boy. The little boy was close to the brink of death, but he was still barely alive. When he woke up in the hospital, the boy was horrified to find that his entire home was gone and the people he loved there killed. He was left all alone in the world without anyone to turn to. Then one day when he was resting in his bed, an old man came t0 see him. The old man had heard about the boy's issue and then he came asked the boy what was wrong. The boy didn't want to talk at first and wanted to be left alone, but then the old man told him something. Do you know what he said?"

I shook my head in response. Finn continued.

"He told me, "Young man, I know you're going through some tough times and want to be alone, however... we all need to someone to be there for us in our times of need. Not only just to fix anything in particular like our problems, but simply so that we can feel that we're supported, cared for, and loved for during the hard times. And it's plain to see that you need all the support you can get." Feeling moved by the man's words, the boy opened up to him and told him what happened regarding his village and his parents. The old man listened quietly and took in every word. Then after the boy finished his story, the man took pity on the boy and then made a decision. Do you know what he did?"

Once again I shook my head for no.

"The old man adopted the little boy and raised him like he was his own son. The boy lived with the old man till he grew up to be a fine and happy young man."

At this point, I was completely absorbed into Finn's story. I couldn't help but be curious.

"How do you know that Mr. Finn?" I asked. "And why... are you telling me this?"

Finn then placed a hand on my shoulder. "Because I can tell that you're carrying a burden and you're keeping it all in. A child your age shouldn't be carrying such a thing inside." He paused impressively. "I'm telling you this, because I want you to trust me. If there's anything, anything I can do to help you of if you need to talk, I'll do what I can to help and I'll listen. So please, tell me what's wrong."

I looked at Finn and saw his kind face staring straight at me. Then my eyes started to fill up with tears and I couldn't keep it in anymore. I buried my face in Finn's chest and started to cry. Finn then embraced me in a hug and gently rubbed my head taking in all of my sadness. After that, I told Finn everything that had happened. Finn sat there and listened quietly taking in everything that I told him.

"I see," said Finn. "So that's why you froze when you saw the paper."

"Yes," I replied. "That was my village. Everything in it was the destroyed and the people I cared about were killed including my Mama and Papa. I've been alone ever since."

"I see," said Finn. "And that was when you were adopted by your second Mama correct?"

"Yes. I lived with her for a couple of years and then just yesterday... she disappeared. She... she just left me..."

I felt my eyes getting wet again on the brink of crying again.

"It's OK. It's OK," said Finn gently giving me a comforting squeeze on my shoulder. "Then what happened?"

"Then I walked around on my own searching for her," I said wiping my eyes. "I walked until I met that gorian I told you about. I was able to fend it off, but since I was feeling dehydrated and hungry, I lost a lot of energy and magic and I fainted. After that I continued walking until I met that bird creature.

"A bird like creature?" asked Finn a little surprised.

"Yes. I met it once before when I was walking in the forest. I helped it get some berries from the other birds. I met it again the other night and then it led me all the way to here. If it wasn't for that bird, I don't know what would've became of me."

"No doubt about it," thought Finn as a certain someone came into his head upon hearing how I got here. "It was Jade that led him here. I'm sure of it."

"Um... Mr. Finn? Is something wrong?" I asked noticing him staring off into space.

"No. Don't worry. I'm fine," said Finn. "I was just thinking."

Then his eyes happened to fall on my necklace around my neck.

"That's a beautiful necklace you have," he said. "Did you get it from someone?"

"Yes. My second Mama made it," I said. "She made this out of her own magic power."

"It's certainly is unique," said Finn. "It looks just like a dragon's eye."

"Yeah. It's the only thing I have left to remember my second Mama," I said. "She made this out of her own magic power."

"I see," said Finn. "Your mother must have been quite the individual."

"Yes. I owe a lot to her. If it wasn't for her, I would still be on my own maybe even dead which is why I'm looking for her. I don't understand why she left me alone. Did she...not want me anymore?"

"I don't think so," said Finn. "She must have had a reason. Besides, judging from the way you were talking about her, she's a kind and caring person. Am I right?"

"Yeah. She is."

"Then I wouldn't think like that. Don't worry. I'm sure you and her will reunite soon," said Finn. "Until then, I'll do what I can to help you. I can even let you stay with me and we can look for some information of your mom if you like."

I looked up at Finn with surprise and a small amount of joy on my face.

"Really?! You'd do that for me?"

"Of course," said Finn smiling. "Just tell me what she looks like and I'll see if I can find anyone who fits your description."

"Sure! Let's see... she's really big and scaly, she's blue, she also has big gold eyes, a pair of wings and..." I began describing what Aquadia looked like, but Finn quickly cut in.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Blue? A pair of gold eyes? Willy pardon me for saying so, but... does your mom look like a dragon or something?" asked Finn.

"Oh no. My Mama doesn't look like a dragon. She actually is a dragon."

Finn looked up and stared at me.

"What... what did you say?" he asked.

"I said my Mama's a dragon," I repeated. "My Mama's a water dragon named Aquadia."

Finn stared at Willy. Then he let out a startled scream.

"Wha?!"

For those of you that are not aware or have no idea why Finn is so shocked and as well as someone of you are aware, although I may have seen and have been raised by a dragon at this point in time and age, dragons are rarely seen by humans and are considered to be a myth.

"Um... Willy? Are you playing a joke on me? Or did you hit your head or something?" asked Finn feeling my head.

"I'm fine!" I said pouting a little. "I'm serious! My Mama is a dragon!"

Just then, there was a knock on the door. The door opened and the nurse came in.

"Excuse me Doctor Finn, but your appointments..."

"Oh crap," said Finn giving himself a facepalm. "I completely forgot. I gotta go Willy. I have to get back to work. Make sure you get plenty of rest. "

"Oh... OK." I said.

And with that, Finn left the room with the nurse closing the door behind leaving me alone. I felt confused and annoyed. I mean why didn't Finn believe me about Aquadia being a dragon? Was it that unbelievable? Well, I can probably understand considering that I found it hard to believe myself. but still...

I wish he would've believed me...

NO POV

Later that day, Finn went about his day handling all of his duties as a doctor. He was now taking a break and was now eating his lunch, but Finn wasn't eating his lunch. All he could think about was what Willy told him.

My Mama's a water dragon named Aquadia.

"I can't stop thinking about it," Finn thought. "I guess I'm still having a hard time believing it though. I don't even know if it's true. For one thing, dragons were nothing more, but a myth. It's crazy."

Then Finn had a flashback. It was back when he was talking to his master about his premonition.

"An individual with the spirit of a dragon will become my student and master my techniques obtaining a great power...

"Wait a minute... Could it be...?" said Finn thoughtfully. "Now that I think about it, didn't the master say the something about someone having something about a dragon? What was it...? Hmmm."

Finn hummed to himself trying to remember what his master told them, but then, a nurse came in.

"Doctor Finn. There's someone who wants to see you."

"OK. I'll be right there," said Finn as he got up and went towards the entrance.

"I wonder who would want to see me?" Finn thought to himself.

His answer came sooner than he expected. Standing in front of the doorway was Finn's master with Jade on top of his shoulder.

"Hello Finn. How are you?"

"Master? What are you doing here?" asked Finn.

"Just here for a visit," said the old woman. "How are things here in your clinic?"

"Fine more or less."

"I see," said the old woman. "So how's the boy doing? Is he recovering well?"

"You'll have to be more specific master," said Finn. "There's a lot of boys here in my clinic."

"You know who I'm talking about Finn. That boy that was found in the barn. Willy I believe his name was."

"Wait...how'd you know about Willy master? Don't tell me Jade told you."

The old woman chuckled. "Of course not. It's been the talk of the town lately. A lot of people have been talking about him."

"I see," said Finn. "Well that's no surprise. It was bound to spread sooner or later."

"Hahaha. Just goes to show how interesting the boy is," chuckled the old woman. "By the way Finn, you seem troubled about something."

"Huh? What makes you so sure master?"

"I can tell from the look on your face. After all, you've been my student for a couple of years now. Besides it's my duty as a master to watch over my student. Through the good and the bad."

Finn stared at her. Then he chuckled.

"Nothing gets past you does it master? Actually, there has been something on my mind for a while now and if you don't mind me asking, would you care to listen? I have some time before my lunch ends."

"It would be my pleasure."

Finn and his master went outside by themselves to they can alone. Then Finn explained to him what Willy had said and what he found out about him.

"I see," said the old woman. "What a pity. A single boy the sole survivor of a village that has been completely destroyed."

"I know," said Finn. "And to add to that, he also doesn't have anyone to take him in. So I decided to let him stay with me until then."

"Good. He needs to have someone to care for him in his time of need."

"But Master, there's something that I wanted to ask you. Do you believe what Willy told me before? About his second mom being a dragon I mean."

"Let me put it this way, dragons have long been gone from history for many years, but that alone doesn't mean that they are not real Finn," said the master. "It's possible that Dragons do exist."

"So... does that mean you believe what Willy said?" asked Finn.

"Hmmm... I don't know." replied the old woman shrugging her shoulders.

Finn sighed with exasperation while pinching his nose. "I really hate it when you answer me like that Master."

"Hahaha. My apologies Finn," said the old woman. "But I honestly have no idea about how Willy was raised, but that's what makes him more interesting. Don't you think?"

"I... guess so," said Finn doubtfully.

"In any case make sure you take good care of the lad. Until then, I better let you get back to work. Your lunch is just about over by now."

Finn looked at the time. "Oh my. You're right. I better go. I'll see you later Master."

And with that, Finn dashed back to the clinic. The old woman watched him leave and chuckled to herself and then petted Jade's head.

"Isn't it interesting Jade? The young boy in his clinic was raised by a dragon. That clearly makes him special don't you think?"

Jade answered with a squawk and the old woman chuckled.

"Hahaha. I know. I think so too. It makes me want to him meet him even more than ever."

Then Jade began to squawk as if she was flustered about what the old man said.

"Don't worry. It's not time to see him yet. We have to wait a little longer for that. Until then, please continue to watch over the boy would you?"

Jade nodded and gave a squawk for yes.

"Good," said the old woman. "Now go on."

The old woman took Jade on her arm and held her up high. Jade then spread her wings and took off flying into the sky. The old woman watched Jade fly away until she was out of sight. Then she turned and walked away.

* * *

 _Nothing much for this chapter, but it's gonna get interesting!_

 _Dragoman out!_


	12. Chapter 12 A tour of Osia

_This next chapter came out a little earlier than I expected. Hope you guys like it!_

* * *

Chapter 12

A tour of Osia

WILLY'S POV

A couple days had passed and now I was being released from the clinic. Finn had given me a new set of clothes since the ones I had before were nothing more, but a pair of raggedy shorts. I was now wearing a red shirt with a strange blue symbol that looked like the sun with my necklace around my neck and another pair of shorts that were blue

"There we go. Perfect fit. It's a good thing I found some clothes," said Finn as he looked me over.

"Is this okay Finn?" I asked as I looked at myself in my new clothes. "I mean don't these clothes belong to you?"

"Don't worry about it," said Finn. "Besides these clothes were donated by a friend of mine a couple years back. She wanted them to be put into good use so it's fine."

"OK. If you say Mr. Finn."

"You know Willy, you don't have to call me mister," chuckled Finn. "Just call me Finn OK?"

"OK Mr. ... I mean Finn. Thank you very much."

"It's no problem at all," said Finn. "I'm happy to help. Now then, are you ready to go?"

"Sure," I replied.

Since I was being released from the hospital and it also happened to be his day off, Finn decided to take the opportunity to show me around town, but first he was going show me his house which I was going to be staying at from now on. I felt a little awkward and shy at first because I've never really talked to anyone else besides Finn before and I was going to be living in a new place, but on the hand it was a nice change of pace. We both walked out of the clinic and made our way down the street passing by small shops and houses that were next to them. There was also people bustling around shopping, selling things, or just plain walking together being merry with one another.

Overall, it was a pretty nice village. It remind me so much like my own village that it felt like I was back home again. Sadly it wasn't the same. It made me miss being near the ocean feeling that ocean breeze and smelling that ocean air. Most of all, I missed being able to swim in that ocean. Swimming really made me feel something special.

"Willy? Willy? Are you OK?"

Hearing Finn's voice I quickly snapped out of my thoughts.

"Oh. Sorry Finn. It's nothing," I said. "I just was just looking at the people. They're all so happy."

"Hahaha. Well it's nothing fancy, but I can say that Osia is one of the best places to live," said Finn.

"Hey! If it isn't Finn!" said a voice.

Me and Finn looked and there was Old Man Johnny and Jessica coming towards us.

"Old Man Johnny. Jessica. Good morning," said Finn.

"How are you one this fine day?" asked Johnny.

"I'm doing fine. Same as usual."

"Hey. Isn't that the boy who we found in our barn the other day?" asked Jessica looking at me.

"Yes it is," said Finn. "Willy, these are the people who found you when you fell unconscious in the barn. Meet Old Man Johnny his wife Jessica."

"Um...hello," I said timidly feeling a little shy.

"Aww. He's just adorable!" said Jessica smiling.

"Hahaha. Nice to meet you Willy," said Johnny. "I'm glad to see you looking better."

"Th-thank you," I said meekly. "And... I'm sorry about what happened before. I didn't mean to end up in your barn and cause trouble."

"Think nothing of it kid," said Johnny. "It happens. I'm just glad to see you alive and well."

"So Finn, what are you two going to do today?" asked Jessica.

"Well, since it's my day off and Willy has just been released from the clinic, I figured I'd take the opportunity show him around town and take him to my place."

"Ah. Well then, we better leave you to it," said Johnny. "Make sure Willy sees everything our village has to offer Finn."

"Yes. And Willy if you ever need anything, feel free to come us," said Jessica. "We'll be happy to help you in anyway we can."

"S-sure," I said. "Thank you very much Miss."

"Well then, we best be off then," said Johnny. "See you later boys!"

"Bye Johnny. Bye Jessica. See you later."

And with that, Johnny and Jessica left and me and Finn continued our walk down the street.

"So Willy? What did you think of Old Man Johnny and Jessica?" asked Finn.

"Well... they're nice... I guess," I answered.

"Hahaha. Still feeling a little shy huh?" chuckled Finn. "It's okay. You'll open up eventually. Anyway let's keep walking. There's a lot that I have to show you."

"OK"

And so we continued to walk all around town with Finn giving the grand tour. He showed me all the best spots in town. As he gave me the tour, we walked past various different people who said hello to us, but mostly to Finn as we passed by. I knew that he must have been popular as a doctor, but I never imagined he was liked this much. Before I knew it, Finn had just about shown me almost everything in Osia.

"Well, that's just about everything there is to see about Osia," said Finn.

"Are we gonna go to you house next Finn?" I asked.

"Not just yet Willy. First I have to get some supplies considering that we're gonna be living together. Think of it as the last part of the tour."

We went back to walking until went down a road which lead to a marketplace, filled with people selling vegetables, meat and many other things. I couldn't help but be a little amazed from what I saw. As me and Finn walked by, we heard various venders trying to get Finn to buy something from them.

"Get your fresh nuts! I got chestnuts, walnuts, and dates here!" one called.

"Come one, come all! Get your fresh apple cider! Freshly squeezed straight from the barrel!" another said.

"Get your paper here! Can't know about the news until you read it yourself!" said a third.

"Wow. There sure are a lot of people here," I said.

"I have to agree," said Finn. "By the way Willy, be sure to stay close to me. These guys will sucker you in just to make a quick buck even though you're a kid."

"OK Finn."

Soon we came to a young woman who was running a vegetable stand.

"Well if it isn't Finn," the woman said smiling. "How are you today?"

"I'm doing just great thanks," replied Finn.

"Here to buy some vegetables today?"

"Yes. I'm gonna need a little more because I've got an extra mouth to feed now."

"An extra mouth?"

The woman looked at me and I couldn't help but hide behind Finn once again. When the woman saw me, she was surprised.

"Finn? Who's that boy? Is he your son or something?"

"Well... yes. I guess you could say he is," said Finn. "This is Willy Falconer. He's gonna be living with me for a while."

"I see. Hahaha. I gotta say though, he's quite the handsome boy."

"Now, now Shirley. He's a bit young for you so don't go trying to flirt with him." teased Finn.

"Oh shut it you rascal!"

"Willy, this is Shirley," said Finn. "She runs one of the best vegetable stands in Osia. If you want to get the best veggies, she's the one to go to."

"H-hello," I said. "Nice to meet you Ms. Shirley."

"Aww. He's adorable and so polite!" gushed Shirley. "It's nice to meet you too Willy."

"Now then getting down to business Shirley, may please get the usual?" asked Finn.

"Daikon radish, carrots, and potatoes? You got it Finn," replied Shirley.

She then went to get all the vegetables that Finn ordered. After a while she came back with the things Finn had requested.

"There you go Finn. Everything you requested should be in there."

"Thank you very much Shirley. Here's the money I owe you."

"Thank you for your patronage. Hope you come by again Finn and you too Willy."

"Take care."

"Willy? Can you help me carry these?"

"Sure Finn."

Finn gave me a couple bags of vegetables while carrying a couple himself, we moved on to the next vender. Once again the venders called out to us trying to make a deal, but Finn walked past them and I followed suit. Soon we came to another vender. This vender was a young man running a meat stand.

"Hey! Finn! How you doing kiddo?"

"I'm doing fine Marco. How's business?"

"Can't complain," smiled Marco. "Business is booming as usual."

"Got anything good today?"

"Actually yes I do. A fresh shipment of pork just came in. It's great for if you wanna make some pork cutlets and stuff."

"Awesome. I'll take a pound of that please."

As Finn and Marco were off doing their own thing, I took a look around at Marco's stand. His stand had various different meats that I've never seen before. The only kind of meat I had back at my village was fish. As I took a look closer of the many different meats, a familiar scent filled my nose. It was a scent that I knew all too well. Then I saw it. There next to some other meat was the thing that made me drool. Fish. And there wasn't just one or two. There was a bunch of them lying in a row. They were all about the same of tuna. Not too big not too small, but they were perfect to eat.

"Wow... Fishies..." I thought as I continued to stare at them. "They look so tasty."

* * *

NO POV

After a while Marco came back with a pound of pork that Finn requested.

"There you go Finn. One pound of pork as requested."

"Thank you very much Marco. I appreciate it."

"Anytime Finn. Hey by the way, there's something I gotta ask you. Rumor has it that you're taking in a boy that was found a couple days back. Is that true?"

"Why yes it is," said Finn. "In fact, let me introduce you to..."

Finn was about to introduce Willy to Marco, but he found that Willy wasn't next to him anymore.

"What the...? Willy? Where'd you go?"

"What's up Finn?" asked Marco.

"It's Willy. He was just here and he somehow disappeared."

Marco looked around and then he saw Willy. He was standing a few feet away looking hungrily at his fish.

"Hey Finn. Is that the kid you were talking about?" Marco asked pointing to where Willy was standing.

Finn looked at where Marco was pointing and went to see what Willy was doing with Marco following.

* * *

WILLY'S POV

As I continued to stare at the fish, I got hungrier and hungrier. It had been a long time since I tasted fish. After all, it was my favorite food.

"Hey Willy. Everything OK there?"

Finn's voice immediately snapped me out of my daze and I couldn't help blush in embarrassment.

"Dah! N-nothing. Nothing. I...was just looking at the fish."

"Hahaha. You got yourself I good eye there kid," said Marco. "These were freshly caught just this morning. Perfect for going on one of those camping trips. Just burn them by a fire for a couple of minutes and they're absolutely delicious."

I nodded in agreement and in response my tummy began to growl.

"Seems like your tummy agrees with Marco eh Willy?" Finn chuckled with a wink.

"Um...uh...I...um..." I stuttered trying to hide my embarrassment.

"Hey Marco. How much for the fish?" asked Finn. "Not too pricey I hope."

"Actually you're in luck. These fish are on sale for 50% off and I'll tell you what, since Willy's gonna be staying with you and since you're a good buddy of mine Finn I'll throw in some extra fish on the house. "

"Oh no I couldn't," said Finn.

"I insist. It's the least I can after you helped me out the other day. If you hadn't fixed me up, I don't know what I've could've done. Think of it as a thank you."

"Very well. Then I'll take some. Sound good Willy?"

"Yes, yes, yes!" I nodded excitedly.

After Finn paid for everything we both headed for Finn's place. I helped carry the fish and some of the vegetables while he carried the pork and everything else. It was a little heavy, but I didn't mind. I was happy because I was gonna be able to eat fish again. So happy that I couldn't help, but hum a little tune to myself.

"Well someone seems happy," chuckled Finn. "You're really a big fan of fish are you Willy?"

"Yup! I looooove fish!"

"Hahaha. I see. When we get to my place, I'll make sure to fry that fish special for you."

"Alright!" I cheered as we continued our walk towards home.

Soon we came to the edge of Osia. We walked down a road and eventually a house came to view. It kinda looked like the houses I used to live in, but it looked a lot bigger and better painted.

"Well here we are," said Finn as we walked to the front door. "It's not much, but it's home sweet home."

He opened the door and we went inside. The inside was just as nice as it was outside. There was a living room with the kitchen in the back. The living room had a small sofa, a table and a chair with a fireplace next to it. The kitchen had a wood burning stove with cabinets and a small sink. I had to say, this place was pretty nice. A lot different to how I used to live.

"You have a nice house Finn," I said.

"It's nothing special, but thank you nonetheless," said Finn. "There's light, a fireplace, and even some movie lacrima and books if you ever get bored. What's mine is yours."

I looked up at Finn and he smiled at me. I couldn't help but smile back and gave gave him a hug.

"Thank you so much Finn," I said filled with gratitude. "I don't know how to thank you for everything you've done for me."

"It's no problem Willy," said Finn. "I've only done what any other person would have done. Now I'm gonna get started with dinner. Why don't you take a look around?"

"OK."

So Finn got started preparing dinner and I looked around the house. I went down the hall which led to three different rooms. One to the left of me, one ahead, and one to the right.

"I wonder what these rooms are?" I thought.

I first went to the room to the right. I opened the door and looked in. Inside, the room had a bed with a window next to it. It also had a bookshelf lined with books and a couple of ornaments and pictures. There was also a small dresser with a picture of Finn and an old man on top of it.

"This must be Finn's room," I thought. "I never knew he liked books. Maybe he likes to read fairy tales like I do."

I closed the door and then I entered to the room that was to my left. The room was very different than ones I've seen before. The floor was very hard and cold like stone. There was also a sink with a mirror above it and on the other end was a large tub.

"Is this... the bathroom?" I wondered. "How unusual. It's so different than from what I using back at the village."

Back at my village, my bathroom was a little smaller and didn't nearly have a tub as big as this one. As I went into the bathroom, I couldn't help, but notice the big tub. It looked so big, you could fit about two people inside it. On the side, there was also a shower head, some shampoo and some buckets.

"How unusual. This is definitely different than what I had before."

After looking around for a few more minutes I left the bathroom. Then just as I entered the hallway, a wonderful aroma filled the air. It was the smell of cooked fish. Entranced by the smell I completely forgotten about checking out the third room. Following the smell I went to the source. The kitchen. I came and I saw Finn in the kitchen humming a tune as he cooked. Finn noticed me watching him and he smiled.

"Oh Willy. Dinner's almost ready. Could you go wash up in the bathroom and wait at the table please?"

"Sure thing Finn," I said.

After that I washed my hands and after that I waited at the table for Finn. Moments later, a huge dinner was lied out before me. There was fish, rice, and a couple of vegetables and some soup. My eyes went wide as saucers upon seeing all that food. It was like I was about to eat food for the first time ever.

"Well then, shall we eat Willy?" asked Finn.

"Yes!" I said drooling slightly at the mouth.

After we said our prayers we mouth started to eat. I started out with the fish since it was my favorite.

"Mmmm! Delicious!" I said savoring the taste. "This is the best fish I've ever had!"

"How kind of you to day so," chuckled Finn as he started eating with his rice. "It's nothing special, but I'm glad you like it."

After eating all of the fish, I ate the vegetables, then the rice, and finally the soup. Everything was delicious. I had to admit it had been a long time since I actually had a decent meal and I loved every part of it. Soon we finished dinner and I was feeling satisfied with a stomach to boot.

"That was great," I said. "You're an awesome cook Finn. Thank you so much."

"Hahaha. I guess it's probably because I've always been cooking for myself," said Finn. "Well then, I'm gonna wash the dishes Willy. Why don't you go ahead and take a bath and get ready for bed? I'll go set some pajamas for you while you're in the bath OK?"

"OK."

So I headed for the bathroom and got ready to take a bath. I was raring to go because it had been a while since I took a bath. I took off my clothes except for my necklace and left them aside. I turned on the water adjusted the heat to make sure it was just right for me. As soon as the tub was filled, I scrubbed my off and rinsed. Then I entered the tub. I sighed happy as the warm water washed over me relaxing my muscles.

"This is nice. It's definitely been a while since I had a bath like this."

As I soaked in the tub, I stared up at the ceiling thinking about the day I had today. I got to see lots of different things about Osia and I got to see various different people. I was nervous, but now I was starting to warm up to this place. Sighing contentedly I sank into the water letting the water wash over me and making me feel more relaxed with my head just above the surface of the water. The water felt so nice that I felt that I was gonna fall asleep in the tub. Then I heard Finn's voice from the other side of the door.

"Willy? I got your pajamas here." I'm gonna take your other clothes so I can wash them. Is that OK?"

"That's fine. Thank you Finn."

"Make sure you don't stay in the bath too long. You'll overheat yourself," added Finn.

"Don't worry. I'll be right out," I said as I got out of the tub. I dried myself off with a towel and put it around my waist. Then I got dressed in the pajamas that Finn gave me. They were a white T-shirt and a pair of green sweats. It was the first time I wore something like this, but they felt comfy and I liked them. Finn then showed where I was going to be sleeping from now on which was the second bedroom. It was basically a simple bedroom with a bed and a dresser too.

"This is spare room that I usually use for guests whenever they come visit me," explained Finn. "It's nothing fancy, but when you lie on the bed, it feels wonderful."

I went over to the bed and lied down on it. Finn was right. This bed did feel wonderful. It felt so soft, it felt like I was sleeping on a cloud. I couldn't help but laugh as I played around with it's softness bouncing on it a little.

"You're right Finn! This bed is great!"

"Hahaha. Easy there kiddo. It's not a trampoline," chuckled Finn. "Besides you should get some sleep."

"Alright," I said as I got under the blankets and lied down. Finn then tucked me in.

"So what did you think today Willy?" he asked. "Did you like the tour?"

"Yes I did. Today was so much fun. I got meet different people, see different places in Osia, and I got to eat fish for the first time in a while."

"Hahaha. You really love your fish huh? If you like it that much, I can make it for you again if you want."

"That'd be grea...grea... (yawn)"

As I tried to finish my sentence, I couldn't help but let out a small yawn.

"Sounds like someone's getting tired," chuckled Finn. "Better let you get some sleep."

"(yawn) OK," I muttered sleepily. "Nighty night then..."

Feeling my eyes getting tired and heavy, they eventually closed as I fell asleep.

* * *

NO POV

After Willy fell asleep, Finn got ready for bed as well. He took a bath, got dressed, and went into his room. As he was about to get into his bed, he happened to look at a photo on his bookshelf. He took the picture off his shelf and looked at it. It was a picture of a young man and a woman and a small boy with an older boy. This was a picture of Finn and his family back when he was a kid. It was the only thing Finn had left to remember his family.

"It's been many years since that day," he murmured to himself. "It all seemed like a bad dream."

As he stared at the photo, he remembered back to when he was a kid. He could well remember being with his mom and dad and his older brother. Then he set the picture back on the shelf where it was before and sat on his bed. He then saw the photo on his desk which was of himself and the old man.

"Hahaha. I may have had some bad times back then, but he made it better," Finn mused. "You know in a way, Willy's just like me. He and I have lost families, but gained new ones. In fact, now he's making me feel like a father."

Finn looked out the window and gazed into the sky which was now littered with stars once more letting his thoughts drift.

"I promise you Willy. I'll do whatever I can to help you," Finn thought. "For now, Have pleasant dreams."

He then lied down one his bed and eventually fell asleep.

* * *

 _Whew! That wasn't too bad!  
_

 _Don't forget to leave me a review! Till we meet again!_

 _Dragoman out!_


	13. Chapter 13 Moments in the Lake

_Happy Fall everyone! Even though it feels like summer. Anyhoo, here's the next chapter! Enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter 13

Moments in the Lake

WILLY'S POV

I woke up to the sun's rays gently shining upon my face. I sleepily shielded my eyes from the rays as I sat up from my bed. After staring at nothing for a few minutes, I sleepily got out of bed. I stood up and stretched letting out a contented groan. Then the door opened with Finn standing in the doorway.

"Oh. Willy, you're awake. Good morning," he said.

"Morning..." I mumbled still feeling a little sleepy.

"How'd you sleep? Well I hope?"

"Yep. I slept great thank you."

"Good," smiled Finn. "Now then, time to get dressed kiddo and make sure you make your bed. Breakfast will be ready in a second OK?"

"OK."

I did what Finn told me to do and made my bed and got dressed. Then I headed for the kitchen. When I came in, I was welcomed to the tantalizing scent of fish. The moment the scent of fish filled my nostrils, my stomach let out a tiny rumble. I immediately went to the kitchen and I saw Finn making breakfast.

"Breakfast will be ready in a minute Willy," said Finn. "Mind helping me out by setting up the table?"

"OK!" I said as I got the plates and utensils we needed.

Soon the table was set and me and Finn were eating breakfast. I happily ate my food devouring everything on my plate.

"Whoa. Slow down Willy," said Finn. "You're food's not gonna go anywhere."

"I can't help it," I said with my mouth full of rice. "It's so delicious!"

"And don't talk with your mouth full either. It's impolite." chided Finn.

"Sorry Finn," I said as I swallowed another mouthful of food. "I guess it shows how much I love your cooking."

"Heh. Flattery will get you nowhere kiddo," chuckled Finn.

After we ate breakfast, Finn and I got dressed and we headed towards the clinic. You see Finn had work today and since he didn't want to leave by myself at the house, he decided that I would come with him. He figured it would be good for me to see what he does and probably meet some new people. At first, I was a little annoyed at Finn because of two reasons. One, while Finn was at work I was planning to go around town asking people for any information about Aquadia and that was gonna put a damper on my plans. Secondly, I thought I could handle myself just fine. I mean I was able to fend for myself when I was in the forest a while back. Well... kinda of. Anyway, I let it slide and agreed to go. Besides, it would be a great opportunity to see what Finn does at work. Plus maybe I could make some new friends while I was there.

At the clinic, Finn and I went to the office so Finn could dressed in his doctor coat. After he was done, he planned to drop me off in a part of the clinic with the other kid patients until he was off of work. Needless to say, I was feeling a little nervous, worried, and not too thrilled about it.

"Finn come on. Do I have to? I was gonna go get some information and stuff," I said pouting.

"Well yes," said Finn."I couldn't find a babysitter on short notice, so I figured I'd leave you with Seiri for now."

"Who's Seiri?"

"She's a nurse that takes care of all the kids whenever they're recovering from injury or waiting for a check up. Normally there's just children there, but there should be a couple of kids at least your age that you can talk to," said Finn. "I've known Sieri for quite a while, so you should be in good hands."

"Can't I just stay with you Finn?" I asked. "Maybe I can help you while you're working? I can even help you make people feel better using my magic."

"Now Willy, you know you can't," said Finn. "I'm gonna be busy all day and I'm gonna be dealing with a lot of things today, so even if you wanted to help you'd probably get in the way."

"Aww..."

My face turned into a pouty frown feeling disappointed. Finn chuckled and placed a hand on my head causing me to look up at him.

"Listen Willy. I know you want to find some information on Aquadia as soon as possible and that's admirable, but you need to socialize and relax a little bit. You know, make some new friends and have some fun. In the meantime, I'll try and see if I can find some info on Aquadia and I'll tell you what I know afterwards. Until then, try to make some friends and have fun. OK?"

"OK."

Soon we came to a door just down the hall. I was expecting to be staying in some kind of waiting room, but I would soon be wrong. When Finn opened the door, I couldn't believe my eyes. I was welcomed to the sight of a of a big and spacious courtyard. It had a meadow filled with flowers with a small stream running by it leading up to a big lake. There were lots of kids playing around either running in the meadow or swimming in the lake. My mind was blown away by this sight, especially the lake.

"Whoa..." I breathed.

"You like it? Personally I'm pretty taken with this place myself," said Finn. "Come on. I'll introduce you to Seiri."

We walked through the courtyard walking past various different people, but mostly children playing. Then we saw a young woman who standing alone who looked like she was watching over them. She was young, had sky blue colored hair in a ponytail and had an motherly atmosphere around her.

"Hey Sieri. How's it going?"

The woman looked at us and when she saw us, she smiled with delight.

"Well if it isn't Finn. Good to see you." she said.

"How have you been? Everything going OK around here?"

"Yes. Everything's fine. Everyone's doing really well."

Sieri then noticed me. As soon as our eyes met, I once again couldn't help but feel a little shy.

"Oh. I see that we have someone new here. Mind introducing me?"

"This is Willy. He's a boy that came to Osia a couple days back. I'm taking care of him while he stays with me."

"Well then, it's very nice to meet you Willy," said Sieri holding out her hand. I reached out her hand and grasped it in return greeting her with a handshake.

"Nice to meet you too, Ms. Sieri," I said.

"So Finn, let me guess. You want me to keep an eye on this little cutie while you're on the clock right?"

"You guessed right," said Finn. "Since I have work to do and I didn't want to leave Willy by himself, I figured he could stay here until I got off. Could you keep an eye on him until then?"

"No problem. I can watch him for you," said Sieri. "I'll take care of him like he's my own son."

"That's good. Just... don't teach him anything weird OK?"

"What? Me? Teach him something weird? Why I wouldn't do nothing of the sort."

"Uh huh. I'm sure you wouldn't," said Finn a little flatly. Then he turned to me. "Well then, I'll see you later Willy. I'll see you when I get home OK?"

"OK Finn," I said.

"Oh and one more thing," said Finn. "Make sure you have fun here and one more thing." He kneeled down and spoke low so Sieri wouldn't hear. "Be careful what you talk about with Sieri. She has... a bit of a wild imagination."

"A wild imagination?"

"You'll find out eventually," said Finn. "Trust me on this one."

"What do you mean by that?" I asked.

"What are you boys talking about?"

Before Finn could explain, Sieri suddenly appeared behind us. Finn seemed unfazed, but I was a little surprised.

"Oh nothing," said Finn. "I was just giving Willy a warning. Anyway, I best be off. Don't want to be late."

"But Finn..." I called out trying to get him to explain what he meant before, but it was no use. Finn was already gone.

"Oh man. I wonder what he meant when he said something about Sieri," I thought. "She seems to be OK.."

"Something wrong Willy?" asked Sieri. "You look worried."

"Um... it's nothing," I said. "I was just feeling a little nervous that's all."

"There's no need to feel nervous," smiled Sieri. "You'll love it here. How about I introduce you to you other kids and I show you around? Sound good?"

"Yes. Please take good care of me Ms. Sieri," I said politely bowing.

"Oh my. What a sweet and formal boy you are," said Sieri. "Well then, shall we commence the tour?"

"Sure. Let's go," I said smiling.

First, Sieri introduced me to some of the kids. Being my timid self I naturally felt shy at first, but everyone there welcomed me warmly. After that, Sieri spent the next few hours showing me everything there was to see and do. It was basically like a giant daycare center. Only this daycare was outside and had wide open spaces. Everything about was beautiful and amazing. The meadows, the view, everything. But there was one thing I wanted to do more than anything right away because it had been such a long time since I did. Go swimming in that beautiful lake. I was so enraptured by it, I completely tuned out everything else including Sieri.

"And that's the lake over there," said Sieri. "We use it to rehabilitate some people, but we mostly use it for fun."

"Yeah..." I said continuing to stare at the lake like a kid staring at a toy that it wanted from the store. Sieri noticed the way I was staring and she waved her hand in front of my face.

"Willy? Hello? Osia calling Willy. Anybody home?"

"Oh! Um.. sorry. I was out of it," I said finally out of my stare.

Sieri chuckled. "You're quite taken with our lake huh?"

"Oh yes! I really love to swim. I swam all the time back at my village. It's my favorite thing to do whenever I had spare time."

"Oh really?"

"Yup."

"Well then, do you want to go swimming now?"

"Really can I?!"

"Of course."

My eyes lit up like a light and I felt excited. I was actually gonna swim for the first time in a while. I couldn't wait to get in the water. I immediately started toward the water and began taking off my clothes starting with my shirt. Then I started taking off my shorts. When Sieri saw what I was about to do, her eyes went wide with surprise.

"W-willy! What on earth are you doing?!" she exclaimed blushing.

"Going swimming. What else?" I answered. I was about to pull down my pants, but Sieri quickly stopped me.

"Wait a second!" cried Sieri. "You can't just take off your clothes like this! You're in public!"

"Is... that bad?" I asked genuinely confused.

"Is it bad?! Of course it is!" said Sieri. "I mean who the heck goes swimming naked?!"

"I wasn't gonna swim naked," I said. "I was just gonna swim in my in my shorts. Well my shorts underneath anyway."

"Willy it's called underwear and that's just as bad as swimming naked." said Sieri blushing even more. "Haven't you ever heard of a swimsuit?"

"I actually haven't. What is a swimsuit?" I asked once again puzzled.

"It's clothing that you use to swim in the water with," explained Sieri. "Didn't your parents ever give you one or tell you what it is?"

"Well... no," I said. "I really don't remember much when I was little. When I was staying with my Mama, I mostly used my shorts to swim with. Then they started to get a little beat up, so to make them last longer, I either used my underwear or take off everything only if I have to."

"E-e-everything?!" exclaimed Sieri her face now a beet red. The moment she heard me say 'everything' she began to picture me with just my underwear about to take them off. She blushed even more and steam came out of her ears.

"No! Absolutely not Willy! I will not have you doing something so naughty!"

"Um... Sieri? What are you talking about?" I asked a little surprised by her outburst. "I'm not doing anything naughty."

Sieri snapped out of her thoughts and regained her composure.

"Ahem. Yes. You're right. Please excuse me Willy," she said. "My mind kind of went away with me. In any case come with me. Let's get you into some swimming trunks OK?"

"Um... OK Sieri. If you say so."

"I guess is what Finn meant about Sieri having a wild imagination," I thought to myself. "She sure is strange."

A few minutes later, Sieri found me a pair of trunks and I was now wearing them. They were blue and with black stripes on the side. Sieri thought I looked pretty cute, but for some reason I felt a little uncomfortable and didn't like them.

"Sieri? Do I really have to wear this? It kinda feels heavy," I complained.

"Yes you do. I don't want you going around in your undies while you swim. It'll freak people out. Besides, this is your first time wearing trunks. You just need to break them in that's all."

"OK. If you say so."

"Now go have fun. Go on and swim your heart out!"

"Yeah!"

I quickly forgot about my trunks and went straight into the water. I ran toward the edge of the water, took a deep breath and dove in. I met the water making a beautiful splash. I swam underneath the water kicking my powerful legs. It felt so incredible feeling water after such a long time. I let out a laugh as I swam in the water.

"This is awesome! Oh how I missed doing this!" I spoke to myself. "It's been so long! It's not the same as the ocean, but who cares!"

I swam forward taking in my surroundings on the lake. It didn't have anything like back at home, like rocks, the many fish, and coral and such, but there was plenty of space for me to swim in which made it the perfect time to test myself to see how fast I could swim. I pumped my legs and headed for the surface and started off.

* * *

NO POV

Sieri looked all around the lake searching for Willy after he just dived into the water. She looked all around the surface of the water, but she couldn't see him.

"Where is he?" she wondered. "I hope nothing bad happened to him."

Suddenly she saw the water ripple and then something burst forth from the lake. Sieri mistook it for a fish at first, but upon a better inspection she saw that it was Willy who sprang forth from the water.

"What... what the heck?!" exclaimed Sieri as Willy dove back into the water. He reemerged from the surface and started swimming across the lake in an incredible speed. Sieri watched her eyes agape with shock and awe and she wasn't the only one who was surprised. A couple of the kids saw Willy swimming too and they were amazed. Pretty soon a small crowd of kids and even some patients were on the shore of the lake watching Willy swim. Even the some of the kids who happened to be in the lake all stopped and stared at Willy in amazement.

"Whoa look at that kid go!" one little boy said.

"He's so fast like a fishie!" a little girl said.

"I gotta say, that kid's got talent," said an old man in a wheel chair. "Reminds me of how I swam back in the day."

In the crowd a little girl made her way through the crowd until she could see Willy too. She was small, had white skin, wore a pink dress with red shoes, had blue eyes and had short white hair. She scanned the lake trying to see what everyone was looking at. Then she saw Willy who was now leaping about in the water like a dolphin in the ocean. Her eyes sparkled with wonder. She had never seen anything like this before.

"Wow... who is that guy? And how is he able to swim like that?" the girl thought. "He's just like a merman or something."

* * *

WILLY'S POV

Swimming around in the water was the greatest thing I ever felt in a long time. It was great fun dashing and zipping around in the water leaping about in the water. After a few more minutes of swimming, I decided to head back to shore to take a little break. Swimming down a little, I pumped my legs once and swam straight to the surface. I shot out from the water into the air and I gracefully and landed right on the sand with a soft poof. I straightened up and shook my head getting the water out.

"Whew. That was fun," I said to myself. "Looks like I still got it."

Suddenly I heard the sound of clapping and cheering behind me. I turned around in surprise to see that a large crowd of people looking at me were clapping and cheering. All of the kids in the crowd clamored around me in excitement.

"That was so cool!"

"Yeah! You were awesome!"

"How'd you do that?!"

"Are you some kind of fishy man or something?!"

I was assailed by who knows how many questions by all the kids. I felt a little flustered from receiving such attention. Even Sieri approached me looking awed and excited from what I just did.

"Willy! You were incredible! Where... where on earth did you learn how to swim like that?! You looked just like a dolphin out there!"

"Well... it's wasn't anything much really," I said shyly. "I was just... doing what my Mama and Papa taught me."

"Really? You're Mom and Dad taught you?" asked Sieri.

I timidly nodded in response. Then Sieri smiled.

"Well I'll say this much, your parents definitely taught you something good. You're amazing!" said Sieri.

"Really? You... think so?" I asked.

"Of course! But don't take my word for it, everyone else here thinks so too. Right everyone?"

Everyone of the people nodded in response. Seeing everyone praise me so much was something that I wasn't used to, but that didn't mean I didn't like it. It was a pretty awesome moment for me, but that would suddenly change.

Suddenly I heard a scream that came from the lake. I looked out towards the water and my eyes went wide. In the middle of the lake, there was a boy. He splashing around in the water wildly trying to stay afloat in the water. He wasn't swimming which meant it could only be one thing. He was drowning.

"Oh my gosh! You guys see that?!"

"There's a little boy over there! He's drowning!"

"Someone help him!"

"Hang on! We're coming to help you!" called out Sieri.

She was about to take off her clothes and jump into the lake, but I beat her to the punch. I immediately ran for the shore and dove into the water. I swam below the surface and headed towards the boy. I came back up on the surface and could see that the boy was a few more feet away from me. The boy had now sunk below the surface looking on the brink of being unconscious. I dove in after him and was able to grab a hold of him before he sunk any lower. I pulled him close to me and I kicked my legs hard making us rise to the surface. We both reemerged from the surface gasping for breath. The boy once again began to panic.

"It's OK! You're gonna be fine!" I said trying to calm him down.

The boy then clung to me desperately trying to stay afloat. The weight of him started to make me sink a little. With the way he was clinging to me, I couldn't swim. If I didn't do something about this even with my ability, we would both be dragged under. Then I remembered. I was a water dragon slayer! I almost forgot I could use magic. So I grabbed a firm hold of the boy and concentrated. Two magic circles appeared on my feet and jets of water surged beneath them.

"WATER DRAGON AQUA JET!"

Clinging to the boy, I shot upwards like a rocket as we burst forth from the water. We were launched high into the air, but like Newton's law of gravity stated; 'What goes up, must come down.' We both began to fall heading for the shore below.

"WATER DRAGON ROAR!"

Knowing that I had to slow down our fall, I aimed at the ground, chuffed my cheeks, and unleashed my breath attack. My attack hit the ground and thanks to that, it slowed down our descent. I kept on using my breath attack and we slowly came down until we were close to the ground. Once we were close enough, I stopped my breath attack and we both landed on the ground safe and sound. I gently laid the boy down on the ground and quickly looked him over. He had dark skin and had short white hair in the shape of a messy bowl cut.

"Hey! Are you okay?! Say something!" I cried shaking him a little.

The boy slowly opened his eyes and he coughed spitting up some water. Then he slowly sat up.

"Ohh... what happened?"he asked.

"You were drowning," I said. "You almost died back there, but I managed to get out of there."

"Huh? You saved me?" the boy asked.

Just then, Sieri and a couple kids rushed to me and the boy.

"Willy! Are you both okay!?"

"We're fine. We're both okay I think," I said.

"Whoa! What was that kid?!" one boy said. "You both shot out of the water and you spit out water from your mouth!"

"Yeah! It was so cool!" said another.

"Did you use some kind of magic?" asked a girl.

"Well...yes," I said. "It's really nothing special, but you're right. I can use water magic."

Everyone if the kids oohed and ahhed very impressed. Even Sieri was surprised. Then from the crowd a little girl rushed toward the boy. She was small, had silver hair, also wore a pink dress with red shoes, and had blue eyes that were filled with tears.

"Big brother! Big brother!" she cried as clung to the boy on his chest burying her face crying. "You're alive! Thank goodness you're alive!"

The boy hugged the girl and gently rubbed her head calming her down.

"It's okay sis. I'm fine. Thanks you to this guy here."

The little girl looked at me and and she gave me a big hug.

"Thank you! Oh thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you! You saved my big brother!"

"It's no problem..." I said feeling bashful once again. "It was no big deal. I just did what any other person would have done."

"Are you kidding?! What you did was far from what any other person would have done!" said Sieri. "You saved this boy's life and that makes you a hero!"

"Really? I am?"

"Of course!"

"Hooray for the swimming kid!" said a boy and everyone else joined. I must admit, I never received such praise before, but that didn't mean I didn't hate it. Then I was completely surrounded by the kids again.

"Hey kid. Willy right? Can you teach me how to do magic like that?"

"Yeah! I wanna use magic like that too!"

"Ooh! Ooh! Teach me too!"

"Um... uh... I..."

I tried answering all their questions, but they weren't exactly questions I could answer. I mean, I wasn't exactly a teacher. and I couldn't just teach them my dragon slayer magic either. Luckily Sieri stepped in.

"All right, all right, break it up kids. Give the kid some space. Besides, you're all way too green to be learning magic. You either have to be really gifted or taught by an adult. Willy just so happens to be one of those gifted kids."

"Aww..." every kid groaned disappointed.

"Sorry guys," I said. "Besides, even if I wanted to teach you guys magic I would have no idea how to teach you. It's kinda... complicated."

"You heard him people," said Sieri. "Now run along. There's nothing to see here. Go on. Willy? Can you stay with here with while I handle these kids?"

"Sure. No problem."

Sieri then left with the other kids trying to get them distracted. Now me, the boy, and the girl by ourselves.

"Are you sure you're gonna be okay big bro?" asked the girl.

"Don't worry Lisanna. I'm gonna be fine," said the boy.

"Are you sure?" I asked. "If you want I can use my magic to heal you just in case."

"No it's okay. I'm fine. Thank you for being concerned with me," said the boy as he got up.

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but how did you end up drowning in the first place? Did you get a cramp or something?" I asked.

"Well, I guess... I got a jealous. I was watching you swim and the way you did was pretty cool," the boy said sheepishly. "I wanted to try swimming myself, but I kinda freaked out when the water got deep."

"That's understandable. It can make a person nervous when they swim to deeper waters," I said. "I remember when I was a lot like you once. I was a little freaked out when I swam in deeper waters too."

"Really?"

"Yeah, but eventually I got used to it and it's not as much a big deal now."

"Wow. That's really cool. I wish I could be that good at swimming, but sadly I'll probably end up drowning all the time," said the boy hanging his head sadly.

"Oh come on don't say that," said the girl. "You'll get better with practice."

"She's right," I said. "If you want, I can teach some things about swimming sometime if you want to."

"Really? You would teach me?" asked the boy.

"Of course. I might not be the best teacher, but I can at least help you so you won't drown again," I said.

The boy's face lit up and he smiled. "Thank you very much!" he said.

"That's really nice of you," said the girl. "You're a really nice boy."

My face went a little pink from the girl's compliment. "Th-that's nice of you to say so. It's nothing special."

"Oh by the way," added the girl. "My name is Lisanna and this is my big bro Elfman."

"Hi. I'm Willy," I greeted bowing politely. "It's nice to meet you Lisanna. Elfman."

"Nice to meet you too," replied Elfman.

"So... what do you guys wanna do?" I asked not knowing what to say or do.

"Well since swimming's out of question right now, how about we play in the meadow?" said Lisanna. "I can show you guys how to make flower wreaths."

"Sure. Let's do that," said Elfman. "Let's get changed first."

* * *

NO POV

A few feet away from them, the old woman was sitting alone at a table reading a paper. She had seen everything that had transpired and she was pleased.

"Well, well. I'm impressed. That was quite a display of magic the boy used," she said. "Well... he still could use some work on control and power, but still not bad. Hehehe. I knew I'd found the perfect candidate. Well then, guess I better be on my way. I got preparations to make."

Then the old woman got up and walked away.

* * *

After finally getting all the kids to do something else, Sieri headed back. She looked around trying to find Willy, Lisanna, and Elfman. Then she saw them and when she saw what they were doing, she couldn't help but smile. Willy, Lisanna, and Elfman were out in the meadow with Lisanna showing them how to make flower wreaths.

"Aww... looks like Willy's made some new friends," she thought. "Guess I didn't need to check on them after all."

She watched as Lisanna had finished a wreath and put one on Willy's head. It fit perfectly, but then it slipped over Willy's eyes because it was too big. Lisanna and Elfman couldn't help but laugh because of how silly Willy looked. Then Willy laughed too. From a glance it seemed like they have been friends forever. Sieri continued to watching them from afar till long the afternoon was over and it was soon evening.

Finn had just gotten off work and was now heading back to Sieri's Meadow to pick up Willy. He came into the meadow and saw Sieri.

"Hey Sieri. I'm back," he called.

"Oh Finn!"

"So how did today go? Willy behaved himself right?"

"Yes you could say that," said Sieri. "He left quite an impression with the kids today. Especially with Elfman and Lisanna."

Finn was surprised. "You mean the Strauss siblings?" he asked

"Yeah. I'll be honest, this is the first time I've seen them open up to anyone," said Sieri. "Oh Finn you should've seen them. They looked so happy. I've never seen them happy in a long time."

Finn chuckled. "Well that's good. It's great to see them getting along so well. By the way, how did all of this come about? I mean did anything interesting happen?"

"Yes, but... it's kinda of a long story," said Sieri and she told Finn what had happened starting with when he saved Elfman from drowning.

"What?! He saved Elfman from drowning?" gasped Finn. "Is he okay? And is Willy okay too?!"

"Easy Finn," said Sieri. "They're both just fine. In fact, they along with Elfman's sister Lisanna are playing in the meadow right now."

Finn looked out at the meadow and he saw Willy playing with Elfman and Lisanna.

"Whew. Well that's good," he said.

"I know. What really blew me away was when Willy used his magic to get him and Elfman out of the water."

Finn looked at Sieri. "What? He used magic? Are you sure?"

"Yup. I saw him use it with my own two eyes. He blasted out of the water and then he spewed water from his mouth to break their fall," said Sieri. "I've seen plenty of magic before, but I've never seen magic like that before. He sure is something special."

Finn looked back at Willy playing with Lisanna and Elfman deep in thought. "This is... unprecedented," he thought. "I know he's able use magic and all, but... I never thought he had that kind of magic. I only wished that I could've seen it for myself."

"Hey Finn? You okay? Is something the matter?" asked Sieri. "You look deep in thought about something."

"Oh no, it's nothing. Just thinking about some things," said Finn. "Anyway, I think me and Willy will head home. I"m gonna cook him a hearty dinner tonight.

* * *

WILLY'S POV

I was having a great time with Elfman and Lisanna. We played together, talked together, and even made flower wreaths together. I never had so much fun in a while. I never wanted it to stop. Then I heard someone call.

"Willy! It's time to come home kiddo!"

I turned to the source of the voice and there was Finn walking towards me.

"Finn!" I cried as I immediately got up and gave him a big bug.

"Did you have fun today?" he asked.

"Yeah. I had a lot of fun. I met lots of new people here and I swam lots. You have a beautiful lake here by the way."

"Hahaha. Glad you had fun. You know Sieri tells me that you were quite the hero today. Am I right?"

"Um... yes. I guess so," I said. "But... it wasn't anything really."

"Oh stop being so modest," said Lisanna who had now come up to us. "It's true. Right Big bro Elf?"

"Yeah. I agree," said Elfman.

"Well hello there Lisanna and you too Elfman," said Finn. "And how are you two today?"

"We're doing great. Thank you for asking Doctor Finn," said Lisanna.

"You two know each other?" I asked.

"Yup. Doctor Finn is our family doctor," explained Lisanna. "We've known him for quite a while. In fact, we've known him for as long I can remember."

"He's even been around since I was a kid," said Elfman. "He's always been very nice and always takes care of us."

"Aw stop you two," chuckled Finn. "Flattery will get you no where, but thanks for the compliment anyway. Anyway, it's time we went home Willy."

"Aww... do I have to?" I asked. "I wanted to stay and play with Lisanna and Elfman some more."

"Hahaha. I know, but Elfman and Lisanna have someone waiting for them," said Finn. "They have to go home too you know."

My cheeks puffed out as my mouth turned into a disappointed pout. As much as I wanted to stay with Lisanna and Elfman some more, Finn was right.

"Hey, it's okay Willy," soothed Lisanna. "We can always play together tomorrow. In fact, why don't you come over tomorrow? We can make it a play date of some sorts."

"Yeah. Besides, I really wanna get to know you more," added Elfman. "Especially since you saved me and stuff."

"I'd like that," I said smiling. "Is that okay with you Finn?"

"Sure. Why not?" said Finn. "I have the day off tomorrow, so it's fine. I can even drop you off at their house if you like."

"All right!" I said. "OK Lisanna. Elfman. I'll see you guys tomorrow and we'll hang out some more okay?"

"OK," said Elfman and Lisanna.

After saying goodbye to Elfman and Lisanna, me and Finn headed home. As we walked home, Finn couldn't help but look my way. I was humming a merry tune feeling in great spirits.

"Hahaha. Look at that," chuckled Finn. "He has a big smile on his face without a care in the world. And who could blame him? He made two new friends and isn't thinking about finding information anymore. It's good to see him cheering up for once. Not to mention he's gotten the Strauss siblings to open up to him. Even though it took him to save Elfman from drowning to do so."

Then Sieri's words popped into Finn's mind.

 _"He sure is something special."_

"Yes he is Sieri. Yes he is."

I noticed Finn was staring at me and I felt puzzled.

"Is something wrong Finn?" I asked. "Do I have something on my face?"

"Oh no. It's nothing," said Finn. "I'm still feeling proud of you for what you did today. Tell you what, how about I make you a big dinner tonight? I'll give you lots of fish."

The moment I heard fish, my mouth dribbled with saliva.

"Yeah! Let's go!" I cried happily as I dragged Finn back to your house eager to eat some fish.

* * *

 _Whew! This one came out bigger than I expected!_

 _My OC has finally met Lisanna and Elfman and the old woman is excited for Willy being her student._

 _What will happen next? Stay tuned!_

 _Dragomaster out!_


	14. Chapter 14 Things in Common

_Hey everyone! This story now has 20 followers so far! For those of you following my story, thank you very much! It really means a lot to me! I hope you continue reading my story! Until then, just in case, Happy Holidays to you all and I hope you enjoy this next chapter! And congrats to Jacques0 for getting a buttload of reviews! XD XD XD  
_

* * *

Chapter 14

Things in Common

WILLY'S POV

I was feeling excited when I woke up the next morning. Could you blame me? I was gonna go see Elfman and Lisanna at their house! I couldn't wait to go over there and see them. I got dressed ate breakfast and was ready to go to their place at any time.

"Come on Finn! Let's go!" I said excitedly.

"Calm down Willy," said Finn. "It's not like their house isn't gonna go anywhere."

Not wanting to keep me waiting any longer, Finn and I went out the door and were walking to the Strauss family's house.

"Well, you certainly seem excited," chuckled Finn as we walked.

"Well it's been a while since I've actually socialized with someone so can you blame me?" I said.

"Hahaha. Well they certainly surprised me when they invited you especially considering their circumstances."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Finn put his thumb and index finger in his chin deep in thought. "Hmm... how should I put this? Well... I guess you can say that you and the Strauss siblings have something in common."

"Something in common?" I asked. "Like what?"

"It's really not my place to say," said Finn. "It's something only the Strauss family can tell you. I promised I'd keep that secret."

I looked at Finn a little confused, but I decided not to ask any further. If it's something that only the Strauss siblings can tell me, then I guess I'd have to ask them.

"Anyway," continued Finn. "While you're over at their house, you make sure that you're a good guest and if you need me for anything, go to Sieri at my clinic."

"Why? Do you have anything going on today?"

"I guess you could say that. I'm going to a patients house for a house visit. I probably won't be back till later. Until then, make sure you stay close with Elfman and Lisanna and have fun OK?"

"Sure."

Soon we were outside Osia and we walked along a path until we came to a small cottage. It was white with a brown roof and had a smaller shed next to it. A modest place, but it looked like a nice place to live in.

"Well, we're here," said Finn. "This is where Strauss siblings live."

Just then, the door opened and Elfman and Lisanna came out of the house. When they saw us, they were happy.

"(name)! Finn!"

"You're both here!"

Lisanna and Elfman ran to me and both gave me a big hug. I hugged them back with earnest. Then I noticed another person come out of the house. Another girl. She was taller than both of them and had silver hair just like them too. Only her hair was long and went past her shoulders to the middle of her back. She also had fair skin and bright blue eyes. She looked just like an older version of Lisanna. She then came up towards us.

"Hey Mira. This is the boy we told you about. His name is Willy Falconer," introduced Lisanna. "Willy, this is our big sister Mira."

"Hello. It's nice to meet you Ms. Mira," I said trying to be friendly.

Mira said nothing. She politely bowed and walked past me in front of Finn.

"Hello Finn. How are you?" she asked.

"Doing all right. It's been a while since I've seen you Mira. How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine. No recent injuries or anything."

As Mira continued to talk to Finn, I couldn't but feel like I was being ignored and that made me feel a little hurt. It made me wonder if I did something wrong or Mira just plain didn't like me. Then Mira turned to Lisanna, Elfman, and me.

"I gotta go. I have to go take care of a job. I'll be back soon," she said.

"Hey. Why I don't I walk you there?" asked Finn. It's been a while since we had a nice chat."

"Sure sounds good."

"All right. Take care of yourselves guys," said Finn. "Remember, if you need any help go to Sieri."

"We'll see you soon big sister! See you Finn!" called Elfman.

"Do your best too big sister!" added Lisanna.

Mira smiled at Lisanna and Elfman, but she still paid no attention to me as she and Finn walked away until they were out of sight.

* * *

NO POV

"You know you could have been a little nicer to Willy Mira," said Finn.

"I don't trust him," said Mira. "As far as I'm concerned he's just a stranger to me."

"Even though he saved your brother's life? Come on Mira. At least give him a chance."

"I'm sorry Finn. You're a family friend and I owe everything to you, but you can't make me trust anyone. Not after what happened."

Finn went silent. He knew exactly what Mira meant.

"Yeah. I can well remember that day. How many years has it been since that happened? About three years right?"

Mira said nothing. She only answered with a silent nod. Sensing that he was overstepping a boundary, Finn changed the subject.

"So, you're going out on a job again?" he asked.

"Yes," replied Mira. "Apparently somethings causing a disturbance outside of the village in the forest. Just a bunch of forest vulcans causing trouble I bet."

"So your job is to get rid of the disturbance eh? That kind of job pays a lot money and it's dangerous too. Then again you're taking that job anyway," said Finn.

"That's right," said Mira. "I vowed to take care, protect, and do everything I can to help my brother and sister. No matter what it takes. They're all the family I have left. Without them... I don't know what I'd do with myself."

"I understand but seriously Mira, you're only 13 years old. You're a teenager trying to act like an adult and do things on your own," said Finn. "Like taking this kind of job. Sure it pays a lot, but it's too much for one person to do alone. Why don't you ask someone to go with you and..."

"I don't need any help!" snapped Mira.

There was a long awkward pause. Then Mira politely bowed apologetically.

"I'm sorry Finn. That was uncalled for."

"No. It's fine. I understand. I'm sorry. I'm just worried for your safety that's all," said Finn.

"I know and I appreciate that, but it's something for me to handle alone," said Mira. I don't want anyone else getting involved in my problems. Besides, I don't think anyone would care less about helping me anyway."

Finn wanted to say that it wasn't true, but he decided to say nothing.

"In any case I have to go," continued Mira. "And before you say anything else, I'll be fine. I'm strong enough to handle a couple forest vulcans."

"I see. Well then I'll leave you to it. I gotta go to a house call anyway. See you later Mira," said Finn.

And with that, Mira and Finn separated. Mira went in one direction while Finn went the other. As he walked, Finn couldn't help but look back at Mira as she walked away.

"That poor girl," he thought. "Ever since what happened, she's been... distant. She doesn't trust anyone who tries to get close to her with the exception of me and her siblings. I only wish there was someway I can help her ease her pain and help her. But I suppose... there's nothing I can do."

He watched Mira walk away until he couldn't see her anymore, then he continued his walk towards his destination.

* * *

WILLY'S POV

I watched as Finn and Mira walked away until they disappeared in the distance. I was still wondering why Mira completely ignored me before.

"Did I do something to make her not like me?" I wondered out loud.

"Sorry about that Willy," said Elfman. "You did nothing wrong."

"Yeah. Mira's just not good with people," said Lisanna. "But she's a good person once you get to know her. Anyway, come on. Let's go do something together."

I looked back to where I saw Finn and Mira go. I still wanted to know about Mira's behavior, but then I decided to put it out of my mind for now and have some fun with Elfman and Lisanna.

"OK then. So what do you guys wanna do?" I asked.

"Well... you do owe me a swimming lesson," said Elfman. "How about we head to the lake and you can teach me?"

"Well... I don't know," I said. "I don't think I'll make a good teacher. Plus are you sure that it's OK?"

"Aw come on Willy, It can't be that hard," said Lisanna. "I'm sure you can teach my big bro. Besides, Finn said that if we needed anything, we could go see Sieri. Pretty please?"

At first I was a bit hesitant, but after a cute look from Lisanna that no one could resist, I decided to go after all.

"OK then. Let's go to the lake. I don't know if I'll be a good teacher, but I'll give it my best," I said pumping a fist determined.

"All right!" cheered Elfman and Lisanna.

* * *

And so were at the lake dressed in our swimming clothes. We had already gotten permission from Sieri, as long there wouldn't be anymore drowning kids. There also wasn't much people around today, so we wouldn't be interrupted. Lisanna stood by the shore so she could cheer on Elfman from afar. We both waded into the lake and stopped when the water was chest deep.

"All right then, this should be good enough," I said. "Are you ready to learn Elfman?"

"Yes!" he answered.

"Do your best big bro Elf!" called Lisanna

"OK. First off, we're gonna start with something simple," I said. "You're both are going to open your eyes underwater."

"Sound easy enough," said Elfman

He took a deep breath and went under the water. I followed suit after him. I opened your eyes and saw Elfman with his eyes also open. He looked at me and gave me a thumbs up. I nodded and we stood up.

"OK. Not bad. Now let's try something a little more advanced," I said.

From there, I showed him the other things about swimming. How to stroke, float, kick, and other things too. Then we practiced the real thing. I started with Elfman by holding his hands while pulling him along as he kicked, so he could get used to swimming. Lisanna watched and cheered for Elfman keeping his confidence up. After that, Elfman started doing it on his own. Eventually after a few hours, Elfman started to get better. He began to swim as soon as I let go of him. I was pretty impressed with him. He soaked everything I taught him like a sponge. Pretty soon, Elfman had gotten the hang of it and was now swimming without any trouble at all even in deep water. After that, we all took a break sitting on the shore basking in the sun.

"Whew that was fun," I said.

"Yeah. No kidding," said Elfman. "Thanks for teaching me how to swim Willy."

"Anytime. Glad I could help."

"You were great big bro," said Lisanna. "Now that you know how to swim, you won't be drowning anymore."

"Yeah I guess so," smiled Elfman.

"And Willy, you were an awesome teacher," she continued. "You made the perfect swimming instructor."

"Hehehe. It's no big deal," I said. "I was just doing what my Mama and Papa did when they were teaching me how to swim."

"So your Mama and Papa taught you how to swim huh? That's cool," said Elfman. "Your parents are awesome to have taught you how to swim."

"Yeah," I said. "They really are."

I stared up at the sky letting my mind drift. Hearing about my Mama and Papa made me think about them. It made me nostalgic and at the same time a little sad. The memories of my parents as well as Aquadia came into my mind the good and the bad. Elfman and Lisanna noticed this.

"Hey Willy? Is something the matter?" asked Elfman. "You look a little sad."

"Oh it's nothing," I said. "I was just... thinking."

"Are you still feeling a little upset about Mira?" asked Lisanna. "If you are, I said not to worry about it. She's always been like that."

"Oh no, I wasn't thinking about that," I said. "Although now you made me think about it."

"Oops. Sorry about that," apologized Lisanna.

To be honest I did want to know about why Mira acted the way she did now that I thought about it. It did make me want to know.

"Say Lisanna. Elfman. Pardon me for asking, but do you two know why Mira ignored me the way she did?" I asked.

Lisanna and Elfman looked at each other with complicated expressions. I felt like I was prying too much so I immediately took back what I said.

"But hey, if you don't want to tell me then that's fine. I shouldn't be getting up in your business."

Elfman and Lisanna said nothing. After a brief pause, Lisanna spoke.

"Yes we do. The reason she's like that was because of... something bad. You see... three years ago our parents died."

My eyes widened and I felt my heart stop for about a few seconds. I also saw a brief image of my Mama's dead corpse in my mind.

"No way... Your parents... died?"

"Yes," said Elfman. "It was about a couple years back before we came here to Osia. Back then, our Mom and Dad were wizards working on many different jobs to support our family. Sure they were frequently on jobs, but it was okay. As long as we were together it was okay. We lived happily until one day, everything changed. They went out one day on a job and disappeared for a few days. A few days later... Mira told us that... they... they were killed on the job."

Elfman's eyes filled with tears. Lisanna gently patted him on the back to calm him down.

"It's okay Elfman. It's okay," soothed Lisanna. Then she continued the story.

"Ever since that day Mira has been taking care of us, but she's been doing everything on her own. She been taking a lot of jobs so she can make money to support us. She completes the job, but most of the jobs she takes are the dangerous ones and she comes back injured. I tried telling her that she couldn't keep doing this on her own otherwise she'll really hurt herself, but... she refuses to because she doesn't trust anyone. That's why she left this morning and why she was acting the way she did."

So that's why she acted the way she did?" I asked.

"Yes," said Lisanna. "But please don't hold anything against her. It's not her fault."

I sat there taking in everything that was just told to me. Frankly I was shocked. I never thought that I'd meet some people that suffered like me in a way. Guess this was what Finn meant about me and the Strauss siblings having something common.

"It's okay. I won't hold anything against her, but I do have one question though. Why are you telling me this? I mean... I'm practically a stranger to you two and you're telling me something personal."

"You're not a stranger. You're a friend," said Lisanna. "I should know because I'm a good judge of character. We told you because your a good person and we trust you. Right Elfman?"

"Yeah. Not to mention you saved my life," said Elfman. "Not only that, but you also took the time to teach me how to swim. That's proves you're a good person and deserved to know."

"I see... but... I still feel bad for making you guys tell me such bad memories," I said.

"Don't worry about it," said Lisanna. "Like I said, you're a friend. You did deserve an explanation as to why Mira ignored you."

"Yeah," I said. "I can understand. In fact, I can relate to all of you in regards to that."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Elfman.

"Well... you see... I lost my parents too." I said.

"No way!" gasped Lisanna.

"Are you serious?" asked Elfman.

"Yes I am."

Then I told Elfman and Lisanna about my parents as well as how they died. Even the part where I was raised by Aquadia and how I came to Osia. When I had finished, needless to say Elfman and Lisanna were surprised

"That's... crazy," said Lisanna. "

"So you're parents died from an attack on your village?" asked Elfman.

"Yep."

"And you were raised by a water dragon that taught you magic? That explains the magic you used earlier," said Lisanna. "And you're also searching for your second Mama? The dragon that raised you?"

"Yes," I said. "I really want to find her, but... I have no idea where she is or why she disappeared. That's why I ended up here in the first place, so I could find information on where she went. Finn even offered to help me find some info, but so far he hasn't been able to find anything."

I squeezed my hands on my lap remembering the day when Aquadia disappeared. It made me feel a little sad. So sad that tears started to well up in my eyes.

"I just don't understand it. Why did she leave me? How could she just leave me like that without saying anything to me? Is it because... Is it because that she didn't want me anymore?"

"That's not true," said Lisanna. "I'm sure she must have had a good reason."

"I just... miss her so much. I wanna find her so I can be with her against, but... it seems like I'm destined to be alone. Every person I cared about is either been killed or disappeared from my life."

"Now hold on," said Lisanna. "You're starting to talk like Mira. We won't let you say that."

"That's right," said Elfman as put a hand on my shoulder. "You're not destined to be alone because you got us.

I looked at them surprised.

"I... I don't understand. Aren't I just a stranger to you? Why do you care so much?" I asked.

"Isn't it obvious? We're your friends and whenever you feel alone you can always count on your friends to help you," said Lisanna. "So don't worry. You won't be alone because we'll be with you."

"That's right," said Elfman. "We may not be able to use magic like you can and we may not be expert swimmers like you, but we can help you if you ever need it. Trust in us when we say that we'll always be there when you need help because you're our friend."

You looked at Elfman and Lisanna. They both smiled at you warmly. You couldn't help, but feel a little happy and you smiled back at them.

"Thanks you guys. That means a lot," I said.

"No problem. That's what friends are for," said Lisanna. "I only wish Mira knew that. At least then, she'll know to trust people."

"Yeah."

"So... what should we do now?" asked Elfman.

"Well... we could always go back to our house and wait for Finn to come home," suggested Lisanna.

"I agree," I said. "I don't want him to get into a panic because of me not being there."

After that, we got back into our normal clothes and we set off for home heading back to the Strauss siblings house. As we walked home, we talked quite a bit getting to know each other. Pretty soon we were back to the Strauss sibling's house. We walked inside and I looked around. The house on the inside looked a little run down, but it was decent.

"Sorry if its nothing special, but it's a good place to live," said Lisanna.

"It's fine. You got a nice place here," I said.

"So what do you wanna do while we wait for Finn?" asked Elfman.

I looked around trying to think about something to do. Then I saw a bookshelf in a corner. It had a couple of books on it. I went over to the bookshelf and picked out a book. The cover of the book read, 'The big book of fairy tales.' When I saw that book, my eyes sparkled with excitement.

"No way! You have this book?!"

"Oh yeah. I remember that book," said Lisanna. "It 's one of our favorites."

"Mira would read to us all the time back when we were little," said Elfman. "Do you like that book too Willy?"

"I love this book," I said. "My Mama and Papa used to read to me every night before I went to bed. I loved hearing stories about fairy tales, monsters, and heroes. They're one of the reasons why I wanted to learn magic in the first place."

"Why is that?" asked Elfman.

"Well... when I was little, I've always admired all the heroes and wizards in the books. It made me want to be just like them. Someone who would not only fight for justice and for what's right, but someone who would also fight to protect the people he or she cared about and fight for what he or she believed in. And also... so I could prevent others for going through the same pain I did."

"Whoa. That's pretty cool Willy," said Elfman.

"I never thought books had that much of an impact on your life," said Lisanna.

"You bet."

"Well if you like this book so much, why don't we all read it together?" said Lisanna. "It'll be like we're kids again."

"All right!" I cheered.

For the next hour or so, I read to Lisanna and Elfman just like my Mama and Papa would do for me and they loved it. Before we knew it, it was getting close to evening. I had just finished reading a story from the book when we heard a knock on the door.

"Coming," Lisanna called as she went to the door. Moments later she came in with Finn.

"Hey there guys. I'm back," he said.

"Oh Finn! You're back," said Lisanna. "How'd your house visit go?"

"Pretty well. Thank you for asking Lisanna," said Finn. "So how was today?"

"It was great," said Elfman. "We had a lot of fun with Willy today."

"I did too," I said. "It was great being with you guys today."

"That's good," said Finn. "Well then Willy, what do you say we head home? It's getting close to evening."

"Aww. Do I have to?" I asked puffing my cheeks.

"Oh Willy we told you before, you can always come tomorrow. Don't be difficult now," Lisanna said like a mother with her child.

"Oh OK." I said.

"Hey Willy. You think that you could read to us again sometime?" asked Elfman. "I really liked the way you told the stories."

"I'd like that," I said. "In fact, I would love too."

"Well then, we're gonna head home," said Finn. "We'll see you soon Elfman. Lisanna. Say hi to Mira for me."

"We will," said Elfman and Lisanna.

"And if you need anything or in need of help, feel free to come to my place," he added. "I will do whatever I can to help you."

"That goes for me too," I said. "I may not be the most reliable guy, but I'll help too. Just say the word and I'll be there to help."

"Thanks you both," said Lisanna. "We'll be sure to come to you if we need it."

"Until then, we'll see you later Willy," said Elfman. "Come by again soon."

"I will," I said. "Bye."

Then Finn and I left the Strauss house and set off for home. As we walked home, I coudn't help but feel bright a cheerful. Today was a great day.

"Well Willy, you seem to be in good spirits," said Finn.

"I am," I said. "I had lots of fun today. I got to do a lot of stuff today."

"I'm glad," said Finn.

I smiled at Finn, but then I noticed something. Finn for some reason looked worried.

"Is something wrong Finn?" I asked.

"Oh it's nothing," said Finn. "Just thinking about some things. Willy what do you think about Mira?"

I was a little surprised by Finn's question. I thought about it based on when I first met her.

"Well... my first impression was that she... was a bit mean, but Elfman and Lisanna told me why though," I said.

"So I take it you know the reason why she's the way she is," asked Finn.

I nodded.

"I see. Then I really must apologize to you," said Finn sadly. "She had no right to treat you that way."

"It's OK Finn. I understand. I would've been acting the same way. I mean after all, we do have something in common like you said right?"

"Truth be told, she wasn't always like this. She was such a kind and sweet girl, but ever since that day she's been handling things no girl her age should be able to endure. She is just a child."

"Well... I remember my Mama telling me something when I was little," I said. "Losing someone you care about is very painful, but it's a part of the circle of life. We may miss them a lot, but they'll always be with us in our hearts and that's something we'll never lose for we're a part of each other."

Finn stared at me, then he chuckled.

"Your Mama's pretty wise Willy," he said. "She certainly did a good job raising you right."

He rubbed me on my head making me giggle a little bit.

"I'd say that little bit has earned you a hearty dinner. What do you say?"

"All right!"

Suddenly we both heard a voice coming from behind us.

"Finn! Willy!"

We both turned around and there were Lisanna and Elfman running towards us looking worried. They soon caught up with us out of breath from running.

"Lisanna? Elfman? What's going on?" asked Finn.

"It's really bad Finn! We think something's happened!" said Lisanna catching her breath

"Yeah! It's really bad!" added Elfman.

"Whoa calm down," Finn spoke calmly. "Take a moment to catch your breath and then tell me what's going on."

Lisanna and Elfman did so. Then as soon as they got their breathing in order, Lisanna told Finn what had happened.

"It's... It's Mira. We think something's happened to her," said Lisanna.

* * *

 _I want to thank a friend of mine, in giving me ideas for this chapter._

 _Thank you Jackie!_

 _Hope to see you guys again for the next chapter!_

 _Dragonman out._


	15. Chapter 15 You're Not Alone

_Thanks for those who viewed my story. My story has reached over 2,500 views! That's a milestone in my book! Keep up the views and don't be afraid to leave me a fav, follow, or review. Also I'm going to start answering some reviews you leave for me, but only about five at a time. And so, here is my next chapter! Enjoy! Oh and by the way, happy holidays to all of you!_

 _Bold and italics stand for flashbacks_

* * *

Chapter 15

You're Not Alone

* * *

WILLY'S POV

Finn and I stared at Lisanna. Finn's eyes were especially wide.

"Lisanna are you sure?" I asked. "Maybe Mira is running late or something?"

"No. We know something is wrong," said Lisanna. "Mira always comes home close to around this time."

"Yeah, but she's later than usual. She never takes this long even when she takes a big job."

Me and Finn looked at each other, then he turned to Lisanna.

"OK. I'll go look for her. She should be somewhere in the forest. You kids try to see if anyone else has seen her."

Finn ran off toward the forest leaving me with Lisanna and Elfman. I wanted to help him too, but to be honest I kinda didn't want to considering the fact Mira hasn't exactly been very nice. Then someone's hand holding my own. I looked down to find the hand belonged to Lisanna who was looking at me with sad eyes.

"Willy... will you please go help Finn?" she asked.

"Me? But...I..."

"I know that she hasn't been nice to you, but she's a good person."

"Yeah," added Elfman. "Besides you and Finn can cover more ground if there are two of you looking. We can go around the village and ask anyone if they've seen her."

"But..." I stuttered.

"Please Willy..." begged Lisanna her eyes slightly welling with tears. "Please help us find her..."

I stared at Lisanna right in the eyes. The hesitation I had before completely vanished. I kneeled down and hugged both Elfman and Lisanna.

"OK. I'll go. I'll find help Mira and bring her home. I promise you as your friend."

Lisanna and Elfman hugged back. When we separated, I headed for the direction where Finn went while Lisanna and Elfman went to ask the people if they have seen Mira. I didn't know how much help I would be, but I knew that I had to try. This was for my friends and I wasn't gonna let them down.

* * *

FINN'S POV

I made my way to the edge of the forest where Mira had gone for her job. Damn it all. I knew this would happen. I told that girl not to do these kind of things on her own. Now for all I knew she could be hurt somewhere with no one to help her. I had to find her, but it was gonna be difficult with one person. I should have asked one of the kids to help me. No. They're just kids. Besides I could get Master to help me. She would be the perfect person to ask for help in this situation.

"Finn! Finn! Wait up!"

 _"What the...?"_

I turned around. Who was that calling me? I squinted my eyes into the distance and I saw someone running towards me. At first I didn't know who it was, but then I knew who it was.

"Willy?!"

He ran until he caught up with me. He bent over holding his knees and caught his breath.

"Willy what are you doing here? I thought I told you to help Lisanna and Elfman ask around the village."

After catching his breath, he looked at me determined.

"I'm coming with you. I wanna help you find Mira."

"No Willy. It's too dangerous. You have to stay here."

"Please Finn. Let me help," said Willy. "I wanna help find Mira too. Besides I made I promise. I promise Elfman and Lisanna that I helped find her. I wanna keep that promise because they're my friends."

I looked at Willy a little speechless. Not because of what he said, but because of something similar someone said long ago. Remembering that made me smile a little.

"All right then. Let's go."

Willy smiled and he nodded. "Right!"

* * *

WILLY'S POV

A few moments later, me and Finn were in the forest searching for Mira. Lisanna explained to us that Mira usually took the smaller jobs so she could be home at the end of the day. Today she didn't come home yet. As soon as Lisanna finished explaining, Finn immediately went to forest to go look for her. Wanting to help Lisanna and Elfman, I came along with him. Finn at first wanted me to stay with Elfman and Lisanna, but I insisted on helping to look. Elfman and Lisanna were my friends and if their sister was in trouble even though that she didn't particularly like me, I was gonna help find her.

"Mira! Where are you? Answer me!"

"Say something! Mira! Hello!"

We both called out to her hoping that she could at least hear us, but the only thing we heard was our voices echoing throughout the forest.

"Darn it," said Finn. "No sign of her anywhere."

"She could be anywhere in this forest," I said. "I hope we can find her."

"We will Willy. We just need to keep looking. This is exactly why I didn't want her to do this."

"What do you mean Finn?" I asked. "She just went on a job right?"

"Yes, but the job she took was a dangerous one," said Finn. "It was just posted this morning. The job was to take care of a disturbance that was somewhere here in the forest. It's a simple job as well as dangerous, but the job itself was high paying. That's why Mira decided to take it. I tried to get her not to take it, but she wouldn't listen to me. Damn it... I should've been more forceful when I was trying to convince her, but I was being considerate. Especially with what happened to her parents."

"Finn please don't blame yourself," I said. "It'll be OK. We'll find her. We just gotta to keep looking."

"You're right. Let's keep looking."

We continued to look all around for Mira calling out to her, but again the only sound we heard were our voices. Then Finn decided that we split up to cover more ground. At first it seemed a bit out of character for, but I went along with it anyway. Finn went in one direction and I went the other. I walked around past the trees in the forest trying to find Mira, but she was nowhere to be found. To make things worse, it was starting to get late. The sun was already set and it was getting dark.

"I've looked all around for her, but I still can't find her," I thought. "Where could she be? There has to be a way that I can find her."

I wracked my brain trying to come up with an idea. The only thing I got going for me was my dragon slayer magic. It was good for fighting an enemy or healing, but not so good when you were looking for someone. That meant I'd had to find her some other way. Just then I heard something above me. I looked up to see what it was. There was a bird flying over circling around me.

"What is that? Some kind of vulture?" I thought.

Then the bird flew down towards me. As it grew closer I soon knew what bird it was. It was the bird that helped me out before back when I was stuck in the forest before I came to Osia. The green bird like creature. It drifted down and landed on a branch above me.

"Hey. It's you again," I said. "Never thought I'd see you again."

Then I had an idea. This thing was able to help out before. Maybe it could help me out again. It was worth a shot.

"Excuse me. Birdy thingy. I need some help. You see I'm looking for someone," I said. "She's a sister of two dear friends of mine and they're worried something might have happened to her. Did you happen to see anyone around in the forest recently?"

The green bird creature shook it's head meaning it didn't.

"Well... do you know anyone that can probably help me find her?"

This time the bird squawked and nodded then it took off from it's branch circling around me and flying past to my left. Not wanting to be left behind, I followed. As it flew above me, I made sure to keep an eye on it as I walked through the forest. I walked and I kept following the bird creature until I saw it flew past a clearing of the trees and I lost sight of it. I came up to the clearing and tried to look for it.

"Darn it. Where did it go?" I wondered as I passed through the clearing.

I looked around. Then I saw it. It was sitting by a stream drinking some water and also it wasn't alone. Sitting next to him was an old woman. She had long white hair that went to her shoulders. She looked to be very old with some wrinkles on her face, but she looked to have an aura of someone so young. I hid behind a tree not sure what I should do. The old woman stroked the bird creature on it's head and it cooed happily.

"Hahaha. You're a spoiled one aren't you Jade?" she chuckled.

Then she saw me. When she saw me, she gave me a kind and warm smile.

"Well hello there young one," she said.

"Hello," I said. "Are that bird's owner?"

"Yes she is. This is my little friend Jade. She's a longtime friend of mine," she said as she tickled Jade's chin. "So, I heard that you have quite the problem on your hands. Is that true young man?"

"How... how did you know that?" I asked a little surprised. "Did you read my mind?"

The old woman chuckled. "No. Jade told me. She was telling me that you were looking for someone named Mira."

"That's right!" I exclaimed. "I was looking for, but I can't find her. I asked your friend as well and he lead me to you. You wouldn't have happened to see her would you ma'am?"

The old woman shook her head.

"I'm sorry. I'm afraid I haven't seen anyone here besides you and Jade," she said.

My heart sank in disappointment, but the old woman spoke again.

"But... I can help you find her."

"But how?" I asked. "I've looked everywhere for her and I don't know where else to look."

"Isn't it obvious? You know water magic don't you?" she said. "You can just use your magic go find your friend."

I stared at her surprised with her response.

"Wait... use my magic? What do you mean and how did you know I could use magic?"

"A little birdie told me," smiled the old woman. "Now then to answer your other question, I can use water magic just like you and I happen to know something that can help you find your friend."

"Really?"

"Yes. It should be pretty simple for you to learn," said the old woman. "Come over here and I'll show you."

She patted on the spot next to her motioning me to come sit by her. At first, I had no idea what she had in mind, but at this point I was willing to try anything. If it meant finding Mira for Elfman and Lisanna, anything would help. So I went over to her and sat down beside her.

"Now then," said the old woman. "I want you to put your hand into the water. Then close your eyes and concentrate."

I did what I was told. I dipped my hand into the water until it was below the surface and I closed my eyes.

"Now...let your magic power flow," continued the old woman. "Let the magic flow from your body and into the stream. Let the currents of the water guide you as you search for your friend."

Currents of the water guiding me? For some reason, this reminded me back to when Aquadia was training me. She pretty much said almost the same thing the old woman told me. I focused my magic power and used my sensing magic. In my mind I saw blue waves of energy traveling down just to my left. This is what I always see whenever I'm sensing for currents. I tried to find anything other the currents I sensed, but I couldn't.

Then I felt something on my hand. I peeked open one eye go see what it was. A hand which belonged to the old woman was on top of mine.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm just giving you a helping hand," she said. "Just keep doing what you were doing."

I closed my eyes and resumed using my water sensing. I saw blue waves in my head once again, but this time something was different. The waves of energy were bigger than they were before. Not only that, but I also saw several forms of energy inside them. The floated around in the energy waves as if they were alive. I also saw that there were other balls outside the stream each one different sizes and either sitting still or moving around.

"What...are those things?" I wondered still keeping my eyes shut. "Are they...creatures or some kind?"

"That's exactly right," said the old woman. "Right now you're sensing not just the currents in the water, but also the water in all the animals as well. Fish, animals, and even people too."

"Un...believable."

"Nothing special really. Just a basic spell I know," said the old woman. "You could learn it too if you tried."

I couldn't help but be awed by this. It was crazy, but it was incredible. Now that I thought about it, the forms did look a little like animals. The ones in the stream were small fish and the ones outside were the rabbits, birds, and other animals.

Then I shook my head. Now was not the time for thinking about this. I had to get back to the task at hand. Since the old woman said that i could also sense people, I sensed all around trying to find anything that seemed human like. For a while I saw something but big forms of energy and small ones. The big ones I assumed were the big creatures and the small ones were birds and tiny fish.

Then suddenly I saw it. Close to the stream a few feet away was a form unlike all the others. It wasn't too big or too small. It was pretty much somewhere in between and looked human like and it's glow was a little less bright than the others. It was sitting down away from the stream and was holding it's arm like it was in pain. My eyes snapped open and I immediately stood up.

"That's it!" I cried. "That was her! That was definitely Mira!"

"I saw," said the old woman. "From the looks of things she appears to be just a few miles down from the stream from us down west. The water inside her seems to be a little weak and she's also injured."

"I've got to get to her! She needs help!"

I immediately broke into a run heading west. Then I skidded to a halt. I just up and left leaving the old woman in my dust. I felt a little bad for leaving her, so not wanting to be rude I quickly turned back to thank her.

"Hey! Thank you ma'am! I..."

But there was no one there. The old woman and the bird creature she called Jade disappeared.

"What the... Where did she go?" I wondered looking around.

This was definitely strange. A woman and a bird don't just disappear into thin air. Then I remembered. I had no time to worry about this. I had to go save Mira. I turned to West and broke into a run not noticing the old woman watching me as I left. She was standing on one of the branches in a tree with Jade on her shoulder looking pleased. Then Jade cawed at her sounding a little worried. The old woman smiled and tickled her chin.

"Now, now. Don't be so worried my friend," she said. "He'll be just fine. All we really need to do for now is watch. Watch and see what happens and see if my gut is right about him."

I ran along the stream praying that Mira would be OK and wasn't hurt too badly. I ran and I ran until I came to a stop to catch my breath. That's when I took a look around at my surroundings. I had walked to a part of the forest i had never seen before. Some trees lied on the ground broken and destroyed and there were also some footprints that littered the ground.

"What the heck happened here?" I wondered.

I carefully made my way through the broken trees looking around for any signs of life. Then I saw the footprints. One set looked like it was made by a human and the other looked like it was made by animal. Then I had a thought. What if these were Mira's footprints? If they were, she must have gotten into a fight with the disturbance or whatever she was supposed to handle. Suddenly I heard something snap a few feet away from me. My head snapped towards the direction to where I heard the noise.

"Wh-who's there?!"

No one answered. I raised my fists and my began to glow with magic power ready to attack whatever was behind the bushes. I slowly walked towards the direction to where I heard the noise. It was coming from behind a tree. I got closer and closer and then before I had a chance to react, something jumped out from the tree and leapt straight at me and tackled me to the ground. I was disoriented as I rolled on the ground with my attacker on top of me. Finally I stopped rolling and I was flat on my back with my attacker on top of me. I defensively crossed my hands in front of my face to protect myself from being hit. I was about to use my Water Dragon Iron Fist to attack, but the attacker's voice stopped me.

"What the... You?! What are you doing here?!"

The voice was feminine and sounded a little familiar. I looked at my attacker and I was able to see who was on top of me. Although it was a little bit of a surprise. It was none other than Mira.

"Mira?!" I gasped. "You're okay!"

I relieved that Mira was okay, but she on the other hand was mad. She got off of me and glared.

"Never mind about me! I asked you what are you doing here?!" she snapped.

"Eep! I was just looking for you!" I said feeling a little flustered. "Finn and the others were getting worried because you didn't come home yet so me and Finn went out to look for you."

"Finn? He's out here? Oh come on," sighed Mira. "And to make things worse, he brought you too. You know what? I don't have time for this. I'm out of here."

She turned on her heel began to walk away. I followed close behind not wanting to lose her. We walked for about a few feet before Mira started to walk faster. I followed in pursuit. She went faster and I went faster. Eventually she turned around and glared again.

"Hey! Quit following me!"

"Why?"

"Because I said. I don't want some dummy following me around."

"Why are you being so mean?" I said a little upset. "I"m just trying to help you."

"Like I said I don't need your help!" said Mira. "I don't need someone to babysit me, especially a kid like you."

"I'm not a kid!" I said indignantly. "Stop being so mean!"

"I can be as mean as I want to!" yelled Mira. "I don't want your help and I don't want you following me around! So leave me alone!"

She broke into a run darting past a tree. I ran after her close behind. Mira zigged and she zagged with me following close behind. I ran as fast as I could, but Mira grew further and further away from me. Then of all times, I tripped. Something snagged on my foot and caused me to fall slamming my face into the ground. Other than having dirt in my face, I was OK. Unfortunately because of that little stunt, I lost sight of Mira.

"Oh no! Where'd she go?! That meanie!"

My feelings of being upset were turning into anger and frustration. I mean come on! Of all the times of me to trip on a root, it had to be now. Now because of that, I probably lost Mira for good. I felt so upset, that I wanted to just walk away, but then I remembered. What I promised to Lisanna and Elfman before I left.

 ** _I'll find help Mira and bring her home. I promise you as your friend._**

Remembering that, I calmed down.

"I can't give up yet," I thought to myself. "I promised that I would find Mira and bring her home and that's what I'm going to do, but... how am I gonna find her? She could be anywhere by now."

I thought and I thought as I looked through the trees and bushes trying to find a clue as to where Mira went. Then I had an idea. I remember that old woman who showed me how to use that spell to find Mira. Maybe I could use it to find her again, I started to think trying to remember how that spell worked.

"Let's see..." I thought. "I have to touch a body of water... and... what else? Oh yeah! Let my magic power flow into the water."

I looked around trying to find some water. Luckily there was a stream few feet away from my right. I went over to it and kneed down. I dipped my hand into the water and focused like I did before. My magic power flowed through me and went into my hand making it emitting a faint blue light. I tried sensing for anything like I did before, but for some reason I couldn't. All I could see was darkness and nothing more.

"What's going on? Why can't I sense anything?" I wondered.

I tried again by putting more magic power into my hand, but again nothing happened. I tried again using more power, but again nothing happened. All that did was made me feel tired. I started to grow a little frustrated again.

"Come on! Why can't I do it? I was able to do it before with the..."

Then I remembered. The old woman. She was the reason I was able to do the spell before and sadly she wasn't around to help me this time. I was on my own.

"If I had stayed with her then I wouldn't..." I began to say but I shook my head. "No. I can't give up. I have to keep trying! I promised!"

I put my hand in the water once more braced it with my other hand and I focused every ounce of my magic power in my body towards my hand. I didn't know if using it all at once was a good idea, but I had to try. My hand glowed a bright blue and I concentrated with everything I had.

"Come on, come on, come on! I can't give up! I have to keep trying! I have to try!"

I didn't see it at the time, but my necklace began glowing as well. In the darkness from where I kept my eyes closed I saw ripple of energy. Then I saw the blue waves of energy once more. I could see the stream from where I was standing and all the fishes in that stream. I traveled down the river passing other animals and creatures that I saw in my mind. Then I saw it. The same humanoid glow. It was running past trees and other animals.

"There she is!" I thought. She's just a few miles away from me! I can still catch up!"

I opened my eyes and I stopped using the spell. I was panting and slightly sweating a little. I used up a lot of magic so I needed to recharge. I dunked my head into the water and gulped down as much water as I could. Then when I had enough to drink, I was raring to go.

"-sigh- I fully recharged again. Now I gotta hurry and catch up with Mira. If I don't find her soon, there's no telling what trouble she'll be in."

I ran off towards the direction to where I sensed Mira determined to find her.

* * *

MIRA POV

I ran and I ran as fast as I could. I had to keep running. Anything to get away from him. There was no way that that kid was gonna drag me out of here. Not without doing what I had to do. I looked back behind me and I saw that there was no sign of him anywhere. I stopped running and I leaned against the tree catching my breath.

"Looks like I lost him. Good riddance. Now then... time to finish what I set out to... ah!"

I felt sharp sting of pain on my right hip. I pulled up my shorts and I saw a big bruise on it.

"Damn it... I guess I got more beat up than I realized. In any case, I gotta find it again. I'm not leaving this forest till I do."

I looked up towards the tree tops and I started thinking about Elfman and Lisanna. Those two were no doubt worried sick about me. That's probably why they got Finn and that kid Willy looking for me.

"Darn it. I told those two not to worry about me. Haven't they realized by now that I can handle things on my own? I don't need anyone's help in taking care of us. It's our problem. Besides... I don't want anyone else to end up like...

 ** _It was a bright sunny day. Elfman, Lisanna, and Mira were playing with each other having fun. Then they looked up and they saw two figures walking towards them. A young man and a young woman. Elfman and Lisanna smiled and ran towards the young man and woman while Mira looked on smiling._**

I quickly shook the flashback out of my head upon remembering what used to be a happy thought.

"No. Put it out of your head for now Mira. Stay focused and do your job. You're doing this for them. That's why you picked this job. So you can make the money to..."

 **BOOM! BOOM!**

"What the..."

 **BOOM! BOOM!**

The ground shook beneath my feet and few animals scrambled past me.

 **BOOM! BOOM!**

I turned to the source of the sound and I was looking face to face with a forest vulcan.

"There you are girlie," it growled. "Took me a while, but I finally found you."

"The feelings mutual," I said. "I've been meaning to find you again. You've been causing a lot of trouble for Osia and I'm here to put a stop to it."

The vulcan smirked his white eyes glowing.

"You sure bout that girlie? Because last time I checked, I was able to beat you up good. You sure you wanna brag like that?"

"You just caught me off guard that's all. I'm gonna beat you this time!"

"I'd like to see you try girlie," he sneered. "Besides, I've been meaning to return the favor for your rudeness. Once I'm done with you I'll make you my woman."

I resisted the urge to shudder in disgust. This vulcan was perverted, but he needed to be put in his place and I was gonna be the person to do it.

"Get ready you ape because I'm gonna give you the beating of your life!"

I ran towards him and jumped up. Then I swung my leg around and gave him a roundhouse kick to his jaw. The vulcan grunted as he took the hit making him recoil and step back. I attacked again with a barrage of punches on his face some more, but the vulcan just stood there taking them all like they were nothing.

"That's tickles," he chuckled.

I growled and I kept on punching this time harder, but once again the vulcan stood there and took it. It then pinched my hair and lifted me off it's face. I thrashed around trying to break free.

"Let me go you giant stupid ape! Put me down!"

"Put you down? Now why would I do that? You look pretty cute thrashing around like that," the vulcan said.

I glared at it barring my teeth.

"Grrr! Let me go you stupid monkey! I swear when I get my hands on you, I'm gonna beat you till you're black send you back to where you came from! You gangly eyed sorry excuse for an animal!"

"Grrrr! You little bitch!"

The vulcan clearly insulted threw me by my hair and making me hit a couple branches before hitting a tree hard. It hurt. A lot. I fell on my side pain rocking throughout my body. I tried to get up, but the pain was too much. I pretty had cuts and scrapes all over my body and I felt an even bigger pain on my leg. No doubt that the bruise from before was just made a heck of a lot worse. Then I heard the vulcan.

"Hey girlie. What happened to all that bravado?"

I slowly looked up glaring at vulcan. It stood above me smirking. I had to get up. If I didn't, this thing was gonna beat me up some more. Or worse.

"Aww... What's wrong? Can't get up? Here. Let me help you."

The vulcan slowly reached toward me ready to torture me some more. I tried to get up to escape, but my legs were not only in pain, but they were like jelly. I couldn't move. All I could do was tremble.

"Aww how cute. You're shaking. Don't worry. Once I'm done, you won't be trembling anymore. You'll be..."

Suddenly from out of nowhere on the vulcan's left, a huge jet of water gushed out and blasted the vulcan away from me. The water forced the vulcan back and sent him tumbling to the ground. My eyes went wide with shock. Who on earth could have done that? I turned around and I could believe who I saw. There on right of me was someone who I didn't expect.

* * *

WILLY'S POV

I made it! Just in time. If I hadn't used my Water Dragon Roar, Mira would have been done for. I immediately rushed to Mira's side.

"Mira are you okay?!"

From the looks on things, Mira was in rough shape. Her clothes were torn and she had a lot of cuts and scrapes. I lifted her up carrying her on my shoulder.

"I'm fine... Just leave me alone would you..."

She tried to push me away, but I held on to her tight. I was about to start running and carry her to safety, but then a angry roar stopped me. The vulcan was back on it's feet and he looked mad.

"Damn it! Not you again! You're that kid who beat me up before!" it growled.

"Oh man... This isn't good!" I thought. "I can't run away with this guy on my tail. Especially with Mira being injured like this."

Then I heard Mira.

"Hey kid... Leave me..."

"What?!"

"You heard me... I said leave me here. I told you that I could handle this guy... I'll be fine..."

"Mira! You're not fine! You're hurt!"

"I said I'll be fine! I don't need you to worry about these little scrapes!" Mira continued raising her voice into a yell.

"Those aren't scrapes! You need help!" I yelled back. "Why are you being so stubborn?!"

"Why are you being such a pest?! I told you I don't want your help! I don't need anyone's help OK?!"

"Yes you do! You're practically beaten up and you can barely stand!"

The vulcan who was watching this scene play out in front of him got even madder than before.

"Hey! Don't ignore me and give me back my woman brat! This is between me and her!"

I looked at the vulcan and then back at Mira. I carried Mira over to a tree and set her down there. Then I turned over to the vulcan standing in front of Mira.

"What are you doing? I told you to leave!" said Mira. "Leave me here and save yourself!"

"That's enough!" I yelled. "Why are you trying to do things are your own?! Are you that desperate be alone? Do you really want your brother and sister to worry about you that much?! Stop being so tough when you obviously need help!"

I stared right at Mira and she went silent looking away.

"Listen Mira, you need to stop doing things on your own. I understand where you're coming from, but that isn't gonna solve anything. All that's gonna do is make your family worry about you and get you hurt or worse. You can't keep pushing people away if they wanna help you. You can't just keep being alone like this. If you wanna keep pushing me away then fine, but I'm not leaving you."

"Why...? Why are you helping me? After the way I treated you, you should have left! Why!?" cried Mira.

I paused. Then I turned to her and smiled.

"Because I made a promise to your brother and sister. A promise as a friend. I promised them that I would find you and I would bring you home."

Mira's eyes went wide then they slightly began to fill with tears. I turned back to the vulcan and glared at it while my hands began to glow with water shrouding them.

"And as for you... Are you the one who did this to her?"

"Yeah. So what if I did?" grunted the vulcan.

"Then I'm gonna make you pay for hurting her!" I said clenching my fists.

"Heh! You got lucky the last time we fought kid! This time I'm gonna pay you back!"

The vulcan gunned straight for me and swung with it's right fist. Water gushed out from the bottom of my feet and shot me into the air.

"WATER DRAGON AQUA JET!"

As I fell my right foot was cloaked in water and I slammed the vulcan right on top of it's head.

"WATER DRAGON TALON!"

The vulcan roared as it held it's head in pain as I landed behind him. The vulcan blindly swung around and tried hit me, but I was able to block it by crossing my arms. The vulcan tried again, but I dodged the attack and launched another spell. My elbow gushed out with water and I landed a blow right in his gut.

"WATER DRAGON GUSHING ELBOW!"

The vulcan coughed as he felt the wind get knocked out of him. He stepped back wheezing and holding his stomach in pain.

"What... the hell...? How... are you this strong? You... weren't like... this before..."

"That's because what you fought was practically a starving to death defenseless kid last time," I said. "This time things are different. Now I'm gonna end this!"

My blue magic circle appeared beneath me and I chuffed out my cheeks filling them with water. Then I unleashed my most powerful spell.

"WATER DRAGON ROAR!"

A huge beam like blast of water erupted from my mouth and hit right on target at the vulcan sending it flying straight into a tree. The vulcan lied there dazed and knocked out. I straightened up and let out a breath and then turned to Mira. I walked over to her.

"You OK?" I asked.

Mira stared at me. Then she shook her head as if she was in a daze and looked away.

"I'm fine... thank you," she replied as she tried to get up from where she was sitting. She almost stood up, but then she yelped in pain falling on one knee holding the other.

"Mira!"

I rushed to her side holding her up and then setting her down gently. I looked at her leg and I saw the bruise underneath. She must have gotten injured while she was fighting that vulcan earlier.

"Mira. Can you pull up your shorts for me?" I asked.

Mira looked at me and blushed bright red.

"No way! You trying to get a peek at me you perv?!" she cried.

I rose an eyebrow in confusion.

"A... perv? What are you talking about? I was just gonna heal that bruise on your leg."

"You... can do that?" asked Mira. "You can use healing magic?"

"Yup. Just pull up your shorts where the bruise is and I'll fix it in a minute. Just trust me OK?

Mira was still a little untrusting, but she did as she was told. She pulled up her short and revealed her giant bruise on her thigh. It looked pretty bad, but I'm sure it was nothing I couldn't handle. I held out my hands around her leg and began using the healing spell. The bruise glowed brightly and it slowly began to disappear.

"Whoa... the pain... it's ebbing away..." murmured Mira.

"Listen... your brother and sister told about your parents," I said.

Mira looked up at me a little surprised as I continued to speak.

"When I heard about what happened... I couldn't help but think... what pain you went through. What sorrow. How sad it must have been. I know that feeling all to well. I... I lost my parents too."

"You... you too?" asked Mira. "Seriously?"

"Yes," I continued. "After that I met my second Mama. She found me when I was alone and took care of me for a couple years. After that, she disappeared without a trace. I was once again all alone. I eventually made my way here and I ended up in Finn's clinic due to me being starved and dehydrated. While I was there I... guess I was a little bit like you. I didn't want anyone getting involved with my sorrows or my pain, but then... someone told me something. You wanna know what it was?"

"No," said Mira. "What was it?"

"That person told me... we may be going through some tough times and we wanna be alone, but we need someone to be there for us in our times of need. Not just to help us with our problems, but so that we can feel that we're supported, cared for, and loved for during those hard times. I didn't really get it at first, but now I'm starting to understand."

I finally finished healing Mira and I stepped back. Her bruise was completely gone as well as her cuts and scrapes.

"Wow... This is amazing. I'm as good as new!" said Mira.

"Mira?" I said. "Look, I know you probably don't like me, but... I was hoping that... you and I could... be friends?"

Mira looked at me and I looked at her. There was a long silence that seemed to go on for a while. Finally Mira spoke.

"I'd like that. I'd like that very much. On one condition however."

"What's that?"

"My sister and my brother trust you and... I want to trust you too. My condition is... that you look out for my brother and sister no matter what and as my friend, you'll help me and I'll help you. Deal?"

She held out her hand smiling. I couldn't help but smile back and grabbed Mira's hand with vigor.

"Deal."

"And... sorry for treating you so bad before," she added sheepishly scratching her cheek.

"It's fine. Don't worry about it," I said straightening up. "Can you stand up?"

Mira stood up testing her legs.

"Yes. I feel much better now. I gotta admit your magic really did the trick!"

"That's good. Now then let's get back to the..."

Just then, I felt weak and dizzy which caused me to fall forward. I would have fallen to the ground, but luckily Mira was there to catch me.

"Hey! Are you okay?"

"I'm...fine. I just...used a lot of magic power," I said weakly. "Don't worry."

"Now who's the one being tough? Here. I'll give you a hand."

Mira looped an arm around her shoulder and lent me her support. I looked at Mira and nodded my head in thanks.

"Thank you. I don't suppose you know the way back to Osia do you?"

"Yes. I just so happen know my way around here. Don't worry. We'll be back to the village in no time."

"Nice. So... what about that?" I asked motioning towards the unconscious vulcan.

"I wouldn't worry. He shouldn't be causing anymore trouble anytime soon. Until then, let's go home. Our friends and family are probably worried sick."

"Right."

We were about to start walking when we heard a voice.

"Willy! Mira!"

We turned to the source of the voice and we saw someone coming towards us. It was Finn.

"Finn!" we both said.

Finn came running to us and gave us a big bear hug.

"Thank goodness! You're both OK! You had me worried sick! Are you two OK?"

"We're fine Finn," said Mira. "Thanks to Willy here."

I smiled. "It's no big deal. I promised your brother and sister didn't I?"

"Well then now that we found Mira, what do you say we head home? Lisanna and Elfman must be worried sick."

"Sure."

And so with Mira supporting me and Finn in front, the three of us headed home. As we walked by, I happened to see something from the corner of my eye. I looked to my right, but there was no one there.

"That's weird. Did I see someone there? Or did I imagine it?"

"Willy? Are you okay?" asked Finn who happened to see me look. "Did you see something?"

"N-no. Nothing," I said. "I... must have been seeing some stuff."

I looked back one more time before shaking my head.

"Nah... I must be seeing things," I thought as we headed back home.

* * *

 _Whew! That one took forever to get out! Sorry about that! Had some slight laptop problems, but they should be handled now. Anyhoo, feel free to comment, review, or give me some pointers. Hope to see you there for the next chapter!_


	16. Chapter 16 Something Special

_Here we go for the next chapter! Hope you guys like it! Don't be afraid to leave me a review or comment and if you liked my story, feel free to check out my other stories I have on here._

 _Bold and Italics are Flashbacks_

* * *

Chapter 16

Something Special

* * *

NO POV

Lisanna and Elfman has searched the whole village trying to find anyone that had seen Mira. They asked everyone in town, but sadly no one had seen her. Sieri who they also asked joined in the search by asking other citizens and searching for locations to where people may have seen her. Not knowing what else to do, they headed back to the house hoping that Willy and Finn have come back with Mira. When they got there, they found the house empty.

"Oh no. They're not back yet..." said Lisanna disappointed. "I was hoping they'd be back by now. Mira... Willy..."

Her eyes began to fill up with tears and she looked like she was about to cry, but Elfman wrapped his arms around her and gave her a reassuring hug.

"Don't worry Lisanna," he said. "We can't give up just yet. Willy promised us remember? he said that he was gonna help find Lisanna and that's what he's gonna do."

"Your brother's right," said Sieri. "Finn and Willy will find Mira and they'll be back safe and sound before you know it. You'll see."

"Yeah. I guess so," said Lisanna doubtfully.

She looked towards the forest hoping and praying that her sister as well as her friend would be alright. Hopefully nothing has happened to them. Elfman was worried as well, but he kept a brave face on so Lisanna wouldn't worry. Then they saw something in the distance of the forest. At first, they couldn't make out what it is was, but then Lisanna's eyes brightened.

"Look! There they are! They're OK!"

Sure enough, there walking towards them was none other than Finn, Mira, and Willy. Mira was carrying Willy on her shoulder helping him walk as Finn walked next to them. The moment Lisanna and Elfman saw Mira, they immediately went towards them grinning all the way.

"Mira!"

* * *

WILLY'S POV

We finally emerged out of the forest and Osia was finally in sight. Personally I was glad to get out of there. If I ever got stuck in there again, it would be way too soon. Just then...

"Mira! Willy! Finn!"

We saw two people coming towards us which turned out to Lisanna and Elfman who looked very happy to see us. We also saw Sieri right behind them who looked just as happy and relieved. Mira let me go making sure that I was able to stand and then kneed down and held out her arms. Lisanna and Elfman made contact with Mira each giving her a hug/tackle.

"Mira! Thank goodness you're ok!"cried Lisanna burying her face in her chest.

"We thought something happened to you," said Elfman. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Really," said Mira who returned the hug with a loving squeeze. "I'm so sorry to make you two worry."

"It's okay sis. What matters now is that you're safe," said Elfman.

"You see? It's just like Elfman said Lisanna, Mira is a-okay," said Sieri.

"Yeah. I know," said Lisanna grinning wiping her tears.

I couldn't help but smile a little seeing the three sibling back together. In a way it was actually kind of cute, but it also made me feel a little jealous. It kinda made me wish that I had some siblings.

"Hey Willy? You okay?

Finn's voice made me turn to him.

"Don't worry. I'm fine. I'm... just a little tired that's all."

Suddenly I was wrapped in in a big hug thanks to Lisanna.

"Oh Willy thank you so much! You kept your promise!" she said.

"It's no big deal," I said blushing a little. "I just helped out that's all."

"I wouldn't say it was a big deal," said Mira. "I... didn't want to admit it, but you actually saved my skin back there. If it wasn't for you, I probably would have end up being that vulcan's... (shudder) woman."

"A vulcan?" asked Finn. "I take it that was the one who you were supposed to deal with for your job?"

"Yeah, but thanks to Willy I don't think that thing will be bothering us for quite a while."

"Willy saves the day again eh? Hehe. Somehow I knew that would happen," chuckled Sieri. She put her hand on my head and rustled my hair. "Way to go Willy."

I couldn't help but blush a little. "It was nothing really," I said. "I was just doing what I said I would do. After all, I made a promise to my friends."

"You sure did," said Elfman. "And we are in your debt. Thank you so much Willy."

"It's no problem. That's what friends are for."

Lisanna hugged me tightly once more and then Elfman joined in. I returned the hug back with earnest smiling. Then Mira came up.

"Hey kid. Willy right?"

"Yes? What is it Mira?"

"Thanks again for saving me and... well... thanks for... getting some sense into me," she said.

"It's OK. What are friends for right?"

I smiled and held out my hand to Mira. Mira took my hand and I pulled her into the group hug. Mira was a little surprised, but she joined in as we all embraced each other in a group hug.

* * *

NO POV

Finn and Sieri looked on with a smiles our faces. Everything worked out in the end.

"Well Finn, all's well that ends well right?" said Sieri.

"Yeah. I suppose so," said Finn.

"It's great though," said Sieri. "I don't know how he did it, but Willy's somehow gotten Mira to open up to him."

"Somehow this doesn't surprise me for some reason," said Finn. "He certainly did surprise me with his bravery."

"Hehe. Reminds me of someone else I know," said Sieri cheekily looking at me. "I wonder who that could be?"

"I... I don't know what you're talking about," Finn said looking away shyly.

Sieri laughed and Finn couldn't help but laugh too. Then he happened to see something in the corner of my eye. Someone was standing by a building looking at us. He squinted my eyes and he saw who it was. It was his master. As soon as he saw her, she smiled and nodded at him. He nodded back and then she disappeared from behind the building.

"Hey Finn. What's up? Do you see something?" asked Sieri.

"Oh. It's nothing," he said. "Just zoned out for a bit. Anyway, hey Willy. It's getting a little late. I think we had enough surprises for one day. What do you say we head home and I'll make you some dinner?"

"All right!" cheered Willy. "More fish!"

"It is getting a little late," said Mira. "Lisanna. Elfman. What do you say I make you guys some dinner?"

"That sounds great!" said Lisanna.

"I am feeling a little hungry," said Elfman.

"Wait! I got a better idea!" said Willy. "Finn? Could Mira, Lisanna, and Elfman come over and have dinner with us?"

"That sounds like a great idea," said Sieri. "It'd be a way to celebrate. I say go for it."

"Yeah! It sounds great!" said Lisanna.

"Hmmm... interesting," Finn said. "It's been a while since I've had anyone over." He turned to Mira. "What do you say Mira?"

"Oh no. We couldn't," said Mira. "We couldn't possibly put you up with the trouble."

"It's no problem at all," Finn said. "Besides with everything that's happened and with you working so hard, you could use some time to rest up. "

"Pretty please Mira?" begged Lisanna. "It'll be like one big sleepover."

"Yeah. Plus we've never been to Finn's house before, you're the only one who's been there," said Elfman. "And we'd be able to hang with Willy some more."

"Yeah! It'll be a lot of fun!" said Willy. "Please say yes."

Mira thought this over a bit, then she smiled. "Okay then. We'll stay over."

"Yay!" cheered Willy, Lisanna, and Elfman.

"Well then, I guess it's settled," said Finn. "Let's head home then everyone. Since we're gonna have some guests, I better make a lot of food tonight. Will you be joining us Sieri?"

"I wish I could, but I have to get back," said Sieri. "I only came along to help Elfman and Lisanna with their search. I... kinda left the clinic unattended, so I have to go back to make sure everything's OK. Plus I have to spread the word that Mira's safe and sound."

"Very well. I'll leave you to it," Finn said. "And thank you for your help."

"Hey. When it comes to these kids, I'll do what I can to help," said Sieri. "Now you guys go have fun. I'll see you all later OK?" And then Sieri left heading back to the clinic.

As for Finn, Willy, and the Strauss siblings, they headed to back to Finn's and Willy's house. Things have definitely gotten more lively and it was all thanks to Willy. Finn was sure about one thing though about Willy. He sure was something special. Not only was he able to beat the gorian in the forest twice, but he was also able to get Mira to trust him although he didn't know how much. None the less, Willy saved the day and he was gonna get a big helping of fish tonight.

* * *

Later that evening at our house Finn made dinner and he and Willy ate together with the Strauss siblings as their guests. It was a very pleasant dinner. Willy was talking to Lisanna and Elfman about what happened back in the forest when he fought the gorian. Elfman listened intently his eyes wide with admiration while eating. Lisanna listened as well while sneaking a couple bites of Elfman's food. Finn listened to his story as well as did Mira. After they finished eating, Elfman and Lisanna got ready for bed while Willy, Mira, and Finn cleaned up. Willy took care of clearing the table while Mira and Finn did the dishes. Finn washed the dishes while Mira dried. As he cleaned, Finn happened to take a glance at Mira who looked like she was in deep thought about something.

"Is something wrong Mira?" he asked her.

Mira snapped out of her daze a little startled. "Oh! No. I'm fine Finn. Just... thinking."

"About?"

"Well... nothing really. It's just... that I've never seen Lisanna and Elfman that happy in a long time. It's... a bit surprising is all."

"Well that's to be expected," Finn said. "When you meet a new friend, you'll find your world a little brighter and Willy's certainly brightened your siblings lives for the better."

"Yeah."

Mira gave a small smile, but that smile was replaced with a slight frown. Finn could see that something was still on her mind. She must still be worried about something and he knew what it was.

"Mira. If you're still worried about not completing the job, I can talk to the person in charge if you want."

"It doesn't matter. I still won't get the reward," said Mira. "And to make things worse I'm a little low on jewel. I have no idea how I'm gonna be able to handle buying food for us when I run out. I'm worried Finn."

"I see. Are you gonna take another job?"

"I'm gonna have to," said Mira. "It's the only way I can make ends meet. I may need to take several of them"

"Are you sure you're gonna be up for it?"

"Yeah. I mean I'm fine as far as my body is thanks to Willy, but... after getting beaten up by that gorian before I'm gonna take up some of the smaller jobs. They may be a lot less jewel, but I guess it's beggars can't be choosers. If only I had magic, then things would be a lot easier."

Finn put a finger on his chin pondering on a solution to help Mira with her problem, but then he happened to look out the window. He saw something that caught my eye outside. Outside of the window, he saw something move past the window in an incredible speed. He looked around outside to see what it was getting on the defensive.

"Finn? Is something wrong?" asked Mira.

"Stay here," he said as he went outside. He quickly walked out of the kitchen and had just walked out the door when he ran into Willy. He was by the door holding a couple of the dishes.

"Willy?"

"Oops! Sorry Finn!" said Willy. "I... was just bringing the dishes."

"It's OK," Finn said. "I wasn't pay attention. Could you take those to Mira please? I... gotta take care of something real quick. I'll be back. Make sure that Lisanna and Elfman are ready for bed and I want you and Mira in bed too OK?"

"OK."

He walked past Willy to the front door and shut it behind him, then walked to the back of the house and looked around. It was nighttime and everything was dark the only light being from the stars in the sky. He saw nothing but the open field with the grass dancing in the breeze. Everything seemed quiet. Then he sensed danger. Something shot out at him from somewhere in the tree tops. A small magic circle materialized on his hand and a veil of water came out of his hand. The veil of water thinned out and turned into a small sword called a Ninjatō. He quickly turned around and slashed at what shot at me. Turns out, it was only an arrow. He also saw that there was a note tied around it. As soon as he saw the note, he knew who would send it to me this way.

"Good grief," he muttered as he dispersed my sword. "Why can't she just send me a message the normal way?"

He picked up the slashed arrow and untied the note.

 _Meet me back at the dojo. Important.  
_

Finn folded the note. "I wonder what's up this time? Well, I guess I'm gonna go see her again. I better go as soon as the kids are asleep," he said to himself as I walked back into the house.

* * *

WILLY POV

After we ate dinner, we all got dressed and got ready for bed. Finn slept in his room while the Strauss siblings slept in my room. Being the polite boy I was, I gave the siblings my bed while I slept on the floor with a blanket. At first, they declined but I insisted that they have it. After all I was used to sleeping on the floor. I mean I slept in a cave with a dragon for a couple of years. I'm used to this kind of thing.

The room was quiet. The only sound you could hear was the soft sound of breathing. I tried to close my eyes and go to sleep, but I couldn't sleep. I was completely wide awake. I looked up to the ceiling and stared at it hoping to doze off, but it didn't work. I was having major trouble falling asleep and I think I knew the reason. It was back when I was heading to the kitchen to give Finn the dishes.

* * *

 ** _We all had finished eating and Elfman and Lisanna were getting ready for bed while I cleared the table and Mira and Finn did the dishes. I was cleared the table and picked up the dishes heading for the kitchen to give to Finn and Mira. I was about to enter the kitchen when I heard Finn and Mira talking._**

 ** _"...If you're still worried about not completing the job, I can talk to the person in charge if you want," said Finn.  
_**

 ** _"It doesn't matter. I still won't get the reward," said Mira. "And to make things worse I'm a little low on jewel. I have no idea how I'm gonna be able to handle buying food for us when I run out. I'm worried Finn."_**

 ** _"I see. Are you gonna take another job?"  
_**

 ** _"I'm gonna have to. It's the only way I can make ends meet. I may need to take several of them"_**

 ** _"Are you sure you're gonna be up for it?"_**

 ** _"Yeah. I mean I'm fine as far as my body is thanks to Willy, but... after getting beaten up by that gorian before I'm gonna take up some of the smaller jobs. They may be a lot less jewel, but I guess it's beggars can't be choosers. If only I had magic, then things would be a lot easier."_**

 ** _I couldn't help but feel sorry for Mira. I wanted to help her, but I didn't know how to. Then suddenly I heard Mira._**

 ** _"Hey Finn. Is something wrong?"_**

 ** _"Stay here."_**

 ** _I heard footsteps coming towards me. Then Finn came out of the kitchen almost bumping into me._**

 ** _"Willy?" he said a little surprised._**

 _ **"Oops! Sorry Finn! I... was just bringing the dishes," I said trying to cover up my eavesdropping.**_

 _ **"It's OK," he said. "I wasn't pay attention. Could you take those to Mira please? I... gotta take care of something real quick. I'll be back. Make sure that Lisanna and Elfman are ready for bed and I want you and Mira in bed too OK?"**_

 _ **"OK."**_

 _ **And then Finn walked past me out the front door and shut it behind him.**_

* * *

Yeah. That was it. That was why I was having trouble sleeping. I was worried about what Mira and Finn were talking about before; the fact that Mira had to take a lot of jobs to make money to help her and her siblings get by. I really wanted to help. I mean I couldn't just stand idly by while my only friends were in trouble. I had to help Mira and her siblings, but I didn't know how to go about it.

"Maybe I could go with Mira on her jobs and help her?" I pondered. "Or maybe I can help Finn around the clinic to earn some jewel?"

As I lied there trying to come up with some ideas, I felt a shiver go through my body and I couldn't help but let out a little sneeze.

"I guess it's a little colder than I figured," I thought. "Maybe I was better off sleeping in my bed."

I turned to my side and wrapped my blanket and tried one more time to go to sleep.

"Hmm..."

I grumbled getting a little annoyed at myself for not falling asleep. I decided to close my eyes one more time and breathed slowly focused on listening to the silence in my room hoping that would lull me to sleep. Then suddenly I felt the blanket lift. I didn't notice that someone had gotten out of my bed and had approached me. I continued to breathe slowly and listening to the silence. Suddenly I felt my blanket lift up causing my eyes snap open. I sat up instinctively ready to attack whoever lifted my blanket when the answer became obvious.

"Mira!" I gasped. "You scared me."

"Take it easy," Mira whispered. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"What are you doing?" I asked. "You should be asleep."

"I was, but I woke up and I couldn't help but notice your little sneeze," she said. "You're cold aren't you?"

"Don't worry. I'm fine," I said. "I'm used to sleeping like this. I slept in a cave for about a few years after all so don't worry."

"Yeah. I'm gonna pretend that comment was just you being stubborn," said Mira. "Look, you may be used to it but I'm not gonna sit bed all warm while you're on the floor getting chilly. I'm sleeping with you tonight. You'll be a lot warmer that way."

"Huh?"

"Is there a problem?" asked Mira.

"No. There's no problem."

Mira got under the blanket with me and got close to me. She wiggled a bit to make herself comfy and lied next to me. To be honest, I was little surprised at first but then I noticed that it felt a little warmer now.

"Hey. You're right. It feels warm now."

"G-glad you agree," said Mira shyly blushing. "I do this for Lisanna and Elfman all the time so it's no big deal. Besides... it's like I said; you help me and I'll help you. Just... don't get the wrong idea from this."

"Wrong idea? What do you mean?" I asked a little puzzled.

"Never mind. Forget it," said Mira. "Good night."

I looked back at Mira only to find her back facing me. I wanted to know what she meant about before, but I decided not to pry. It was probably nothing. I turned to my side face away from her and I closed my eyes. This time thanks to the added warmth from Mira, I fell fast asleep with Mira following behind.

* * *

NO POV

As soon as he was sure that the kids were fast asleep. Finn got out of bed and got dressed. Then he tip-toed out of the house and shut the door behind him quietly being careful not to make any noise. As soon as he shut the door and walked a few feet away from the house, he looked around. There was no one around. Not soul could be heard. Everyone in town was fast asleep.

Seeing this, Finn kneeled down like he was about to run a marathon and then took off running in a fast pace. As he ran, the blue magic circle appeared on his back and his water wing appeared on his back. He spread them out and with a giant leap he flapped his wings and took off into the sky. He soared above the houses in town unknown to anyone below and past the edge of town heading towards his destination in the other part of forest.

Eventually he could see the stream below him. He followed it until he could see the lake and the dojo. He swooped down and flew above the water. He touched down at the entrance and dispersed his wings.

"Ah there you are Finn. I'm glad you could make it."

Finn's master was waiting for him by the doors to the dojo. Finn bowed to his master politely. "Hello master. You wanted to see me?"

"Yes," she replied. "Come."

She walked inside the dojo and Finn followed. They went into the separate room and sat at the table where Jade was sleeping on her perch in the corner. There was a pot of tea and two cups already ready for them. The old woman sat down and she poured herself a cup.

"Would you like some?" she asked.

"Yes. Thank you," said Finn as the master poured some more tea in the second cup. I took my cup and blew on the tea to cool it down. Then I quietly sipped the tea savoring it's taste. "So master what did you want to talk to me about? You could have just asked me to come see you instead of sending me a note you know."

"I couldn't talk to you just yet, not with the children being there," said the old woman. "Besides, me and Jade were in the middle of something."

Finn put down his cup and looked at the old woman. "In the middle of helping Willy perhaps?" he asked.

The old woman chuckled. "Hehe. So you found me out eh?"

"Of course. How else was Willy able to find Mira so quickly? You were testing him weren't you?"

"Indeed I was," replied the old woman. "I wanted to see if he was capable of learning my spells and I'm happy to say that he is. He was able to use the Water Sense spell of his first try."

"No way! On his first try?!" exclaimed Finn. "It took me at least 5 tries until I was able to use that spell when I was learning."

"Well, he did have a little trouble at first but yes he was able to use it. All because he wanted to help find that girl," said the old woman. "He truly is a kind boy. Reminds me of you Finn."

"Master don't you start now," chuckled Finn. "I already have had Sieri tell me that. I don't need to hear it again from you."

"But it is true," chuckled the old woman. "You've really come a long way the last time I saw you. I remember when you were young, you were a high spirited young man."

"Hehe. I'd rather not remember," said Finn. "I was a bit of a hoodlum back then."

"A hoodlum yes, but you were also a person in need given your history."

"Yes. That's true. It has been a long time since then. I can still remember the pain from back then," said Finn a little solemn. "I can still remember how we met. A young boy like me, all alone, abandoned, and the only one who survived a dark guild attack who then meets an old woman who takes him under her wing and trains him the ways of being a water ninja mage? Still feels like it's some kind of crazy fairy tale."

"Well it wasn't," said the old woman. "It was reality. Ever since I first met you. Now then, there's something I need to ask you Finn."

"What is it master?"

The old woman set down her cup and looked at Finn directly in the eye.

"I need you to bring Willy here," she said.

"Bring him here? To... become your pupil right?" asked Finn.

"Yes."

"But... master if I may ask, are you sure about this? I mean your training might be a bit harsh for a kid like Willy. Not to mention I still have some doubts of his magic ability."

"Which is why I want you to bring Willy here," said the old woman. "When you bring him here, I want you to spar with him."

"Huh? Me spar with Willy?" puzzled Finn. "Why would you want me to do that?"

The old woman smiled. "Let's just say I want to see what I'm working with," she said. "I'll keep it at that for now."

Finn stared at his master trying to search for an answer by looking at her. Then he chuckled.

"Just what I'd thought you'd say master," he said. "I'd expect nothing less from you. Very well. I'll have Willy here tomorrow. I have the day off tomorrow so I should be able to bring him, but master when you start training Willy, could you please make sure to go easy on him a little?"

"There is no 'going easy' when it comes to my training, but... I will try to hold back," said the old woman.

"Thank you master. I appreciate it," said Finn. "Is there anything else we need to discuss?"

"That will be all," said the old woman.

"All right then," said Finn. "I'll see you tomorrow master."

Finn stood up, politely bowed to the old woman and then left. The old woman looked at Jade who was still fast asleep on her perch and then looked up at the ceiling sipping her tea quietly.

"So... it's finally going to happen," the old woman said to herself. "Tomorrow. That boy... will be begin his path towards his destiny. A destiny either in darkness or in light."

* * *

Back with Finn, he left the dojo and flew back towards the house. He opened the door and quietly shut the door. When he shut the door, he stood there in deep thought thinking about his master training Willy.

"So... tomorrow Willy is finally going to meet the master. Well... again but officially if you think about it," thought Finn. "I wonder how strong he'll be? Guess I'll know soon enough."

Then he happened to walk past Willy's room. He couldn't help but peep in wanting to see how the kids were doing. Lisanna and Elfman were in Willy's bed sleeping peacefully and Mira and Willy were sleeping on the floor. Finn was a little surprised to see that, but at the same time he couldn't help but smile.

"Hehe. It's like they're all one big family," he chuckled to himself. He looked at Willy. "You know... I can't help but think. Willy is just like me when I was a little kid. Brave. Kind. And most of all special."

He came into the room tip-toeing until he was right next to Willy and Mira. Both of them were sleeping peacefully breathing slowly and softy.

"Willy... I may not know what kinds of magic power you have and how strong you are, but... I do know that you're something special. So special that I have no doubt that you're in for great things in the future. Great things."

And then Finn tip-toed out of the room and then closed the door behind him.

* * *

 _There we go! I know I'm not good with fluffy stuff, but I decided to add a bit of a fluffy scene between Willy and Mira. Also we also get to see a bit of Finn's water magic skills even if it was only just a short bit. Also I gave the name of the sensing spell Willy and the old woman use. A bit predictable but hoping it will catch on. Also I know I'm crappy with titles but I'm giving it my best.  
_

 _Anyhoo, there's going to be a bit of action in the next chapter.  
_

 _Thank you for reading and I hope to see you for the next chapter! Feel free to give me some tips or reviews._

 _Dragoman out! Later!_


	17. Chapter 17 An Opportunity To Be Stong

_For the next chapter, things are finally gonna be revealed. For starters the name of Finn's old master and Willy... well I shouldn't go into too much otherwise I'll reveal major spoilers. Anyhoo, enjoy reading this next chapter!_

* * *

Chapter 17

An Opportunity to be Strong

 **NO POV**

The next morning Elfman woke up with the sun shining and the birds chirping. He sleepily sat up, rubbed his eyes, and stretched. He sleepily looked around the bed. Lisanna was next to him sleeping peacefully, but he found that his other sister Mira wasn't there.

"What the...? Mira? Where is she?" he wondered.

Just then, Lisanna slowly opened her eyes and she woke up as well. She let out a cute yawn and rubbed her eyes rubbing the sleepiness out of them.

"Morning Elfman..." she mumbled sleepily.

"Lisanna. Where's Mira?" asked Elfman.

"She should be in the bed with us shouldn't she?" she mumbled.

"No. She's not here," said Elfman.

"What?"

Lisanna now wide awake looked around in the bed looking for Mira, but she didn't see her either. Then she happened to look on the floor. Her eyes went wide and she let out a squeak of surprise. Her face even took a slight shade of pink.

"Lisanna, what's the matter?" asked Elfman.

"L-look," squeaked Lisanna pointing to the floor.

Elfman looked over the side of the bed and onto the floor and he gasped in surprise seeing why Lisanna was blushing. There lying on the floor was Mira with Willy fast asleep. She was hugging him from behind and holding him close like Willy was like a big teddy bear.

"Oh my..." breathed Elfman.

Then Mira began to wake up. She slowly opened her eyes and looked up at Elfman and Lisanna who couldn't take their eyes off of her and Willy.

"Morning Lisanna... Morning Elfman..." she mumbled. "What's up?"

"Um... sis... you tell us," said Elfman who tried to look away but he failed. Lisanna on the other hand had a big grin on her face.

"Hey Mira if you wanted to sleep with Willy, you could have said something you know," she smirked.

Mira blinked in confusion. Then she noticed that she was hugging Willy. A few seconds passed, then she screamed in embarrassment. She let go of Willy and scooted back until she bumped into the wall blushing up to her ears. Then Finn came bursting into the room.

"Hey! Is everything OK? I heard someone scream!" he said looking very concerned.

"Nothing much. Willy and Mira just slept together," said Lisanna cheekily. "They were getting all cute and cuddly and everything."

"What?! No! It's not like that!" cried Mira. "Since Willy was sleeping on the floor while we were sleeping on the bed, I figured Willy was cold so I just did what I would do to Lisanna and Elfman and I kept him warm!"

"Oh I see," said Finn. "I...guess makes sense."

"You see Lisanna? Mira was just keeping Willy warm. That's all," said Elfman.

"I guess so. But it still... you looked so adorable holding him like that!" said Lisanna. "You two looked just like a cute couple."

"What the heck are you talking about Lisanna?! We're not a couple!" said a flustered Mira who was now even redder than before.

"Now, now Lisanna. Enough teasing," said Finn calmly. "I think you've heard one too many of Sieri's love stories."

"Hey... What's going on...? Why is everyone being so noisy?"

Everyone looked towards the source of the voice to find that now Willy was awake his eyes sleepily opening.

"Don't you know that it's rude to wake up someone when they're sleeping?" he mumbled.

"Oops... sorry Willy. Didn't mean to wake you up," said Finn. "How'd you sleep?"

"I slept fine..." said Willy rubbing his eyes. "It was very warm and comfy." He looked at Mira who was still flushed from embarrassment. "Thank you very much Mira. Thanks to you I slept great."

"Oh... sure. Anytime," said Mira hesitantly looking away.

"Is something wrong Mira?" asked Willy. "You're red in the face."

"N-nothing! I'm fine! Don't worry! I'm...just feeling hungry! Yeah! Just feeling hungry."

"OK then. If you say so," said Willy raising a brow in confusion.

"Well then now that you're all up, I'll get breakfast ready," said Finn. "You kids wash up and get dressed."

"Yes!" said Willy as he got up and went to the bathroom to wash-up. Leaving the Strauss sibling alone in Willy's room. Mira let out a sigh of relief glad that Willy hadn't noticed her hugging him while she slept with him. Then he looked at Elfman and Lisanna. Elfman had a face looking like he was demanding an explanation as to what just happened while Lisanna had a look that said 'Hehehe. You sly vixen.'

"I'm... gonna go get dressed," said Mira as she left the room. "And neither of you two will not breathe a word of this to anyone. Especially you Lisanna. I don't want you going and telling Sieri. Got it?"

"Don't worry we won't," said Lisanna smiling. "Right Elfman?"

"Um... yeah. Of course! We won't tell a soul Big Sis," said Elfman. "Strauss' honor!"

"Good," said Mira as she left the room.

As Mira left the room, Lisanna sniggered to herself as she had her fingers crossed behind her back.

"Wait till Sieri find out about this," she thought to herself smiling mischievously.

* * *

 **WILLY'S POV**

I was brushing my teeth and washing my face getting ready to start the day. As I did so, I thought about Mira's recent behavior.

"I wonder why she was acting so weird," I thought. "You can't get red from being hungry can you?"

Then I suddenly remembered. Regarding what Mira and Finn were talking about the other day.

"That's right... Mira has to make money for herself, Lisanna, and Elfman to get by. But... since she doesn't know magic she can only take the smaller jobs and I guess she won't be able to make much jewel from those kind of jobs. I wish there's a way I can help her."

I thought and I thought of different ways to help Mira and her siblings, but then Lisanna and Elfman came in. I decided not to say anything to them so I wouldn't make them worry. I walked into the kitchen and I saw Finn busily preparing breakfast.

"Hey Finn? Can I talk to you?"

"Oh hold on Willy," said Finn as he carefully checked and cooked the food. "I just gotta make sure..." He checked on the food to make sure that it wouldn't burn and then he turned to me. "Now then, what's up Willy?"

"I have a question Finn," I said. "You know what a guild is right?"

"Yes."

"So... how does one get into a guild?" I asked.

"I think it should be pretty simple," said Finn. "All you have to do is talk to the person in charge of that guild and they should let you in, but sometimes they test you to see if you're strong enough to join the guild."

"I see..."

"Seems simple enough," I thought. "All I have to do is talk to the person in charge and I'm in? Then again I might be tested."

"So why do you ask Willy? You planning on joining up with a guild?" asked Finn.

"Um... well... no reason," I said instinctively.

"Hmmm," hummed Finn as he stared at me looking like he was searching inside me to see if I was telling the truth. Then he went back to the stove to check on the food then he spoke.

"Let me take a wild guess. You want to sign up for a guild because you wanna help Mira raise jewel for herself and her siblings am I right?"

I stared at Finn's back surprised that he hit the hammer on the head.

"How... how did you..."

"When we bumped into each other in the hallway yesterday," said Finn. "The moment when I saw you and saw your reaction it was kinda obvious. Also you overheard me and Mira talking the other day weren't you?"

"I'm sorry," I said immediately apologizing. "I didn't mean to overhear you two. I was just coming down the hall when I heard you guys talking and..."

"Whoa. Easy there Willy," said Finn turning around. "I'm not mad or anything. Besides, it's only natural to be worried. Although you shouldn't have eavesdropped."

"I'm sorry," I said again. "I didn't mean too."

"I know," said Finn. "Just try not to do that again in the near future."

"I won't."

"Now then, let me ask you a question Willy," said Finn. "You say you want to sign up for a guild to make some jewel right?"

"Yes."

"I won't stop you if that's what you want, but you should know that I'm afraid that Osia doesn't have a guild. However, there is a job board that people can go in the middle of town. You can get some good pay depending on the job you take over there, but there are even some jobs that very few people come back from. I remember a man who went out on a job that was supposed to last 5 years. He came back, but he was battered and broken. So much so that he never took a job again. Do you still want to go for it even with the risk of dying?"

I gulped nervously upon hearing that, but I said bravely. "I don't care. I wanna help them. If... it means I have to jump into some scary jobs to get jewel then I'll gladly do it. I'll just have to get stronger that's all. Mira, Lisanna, and Elfman are my friends and I can't just sit by while they need help. Besides, I promised her. I promised Mira that I'd help her and her family anyway I could and I'm not gonna go back on that promise if there's a way to help her."

Finn turned around and looked at me surprised at my response and I stared at him with determination. There was a long pause. Then Finn smiled.

"Hehe. Good answer Willy. That's just what I'd thought you'd say," said Finn. "But... even if you do take jobs, how do you intend to get stronger if you plan on getting the bigger jobs?"

"Um... uh..."

I didn't really think about that. It wasn't like I can ask Aquadia to train me again. I didn't even know where she is. Then Finn chuckled.

"I figured so. Don't worry, I think I may know someone that'll be able to help you with that problem."

"Really?! Who?"

"Well I can't say at the moment. It's a bit of a secret."

Before I could ask what that secret was, Lisanna came into the the kitchen.

"Hey you guys, is breakfast gonna be ready soon?" she asked.

"Yes. It won't be much longer Lisanna," said Finn. "Until then make sure you and your siblings are washed up and ready to head home OK?"

"OK!"

And with that Lisanna left. Then Finn whispered to me so that no one else would hear.

"We'll talk about this after breakfast OK? And make sure that none of the Strauss siblings know about it too."

"Um... OK." I said slightly doubtful.

I had no idea what Finn had in mind, but little did I know I was gonna be in for a big surprise.

After we all ate breakfast, it was time for the Strauss siblings to head home. At first they wanted to stay with me a little longer, but Mira had to go back to explain what had happened to the person who assigned her the job and she had to drop off Elfman and Lisanna over at Sieri's so they can be watched over.

"You want me to go with you and explain what happened Mira?" asked Finn.

"No. It's OK," said Mira. "I'll just explain what happened. I may not get the jewel, but it's OK. I'll just take some of side jobs. At least it'll be a little easier."

"Don't push yourself too hard Mira," I said. "I don't want you to get hurt again OK?"

Mira looked at me and gave me a small smile. "Don't worry Willy. I will. All right Lisanna. Elfman. Let's go."

"All right," they both said.

"See you later Willy!" said Elfman.

"Let's do this again sometime!" said Lisanna.

"Bye!" I called.

And I waved until they disappeared into town. Then Finn stretched letting out a satisfied grunt, then he turned to me.

"All right Willy," he said. "Let's get down to business. First off, you want someone to help you get stronger right?"

"Yes. I am. If it's not too much trouble," I said.

"OK then. I can take you to person to train you no problem. However, you might have to pass a trial to see where you stand. Are you willing to go through it?"

"Yes. I am. All I have to do is pass the trial right? Then it should be fine."

Finn smiled. "Very well. In that case, come with me."

We both set off walking through and heading towards the edge. Soon we came to a fork in the path. One path led to the lands beyond on the right and the other led to the forest on the left.

"It's over this way," said Finn pointing down the left path. "Make sure you stay close to me OK?"

I nodded as we both walked down the path on the left heading towards the forest. We walked through the forest carefully making our way past trees. Soon we came to the stream.

"This way Willy," said Finn. "We have to follow this stream to get to our destination."

"OK."

We walked along the stream which led us deeper and deeper into the forest. Eventually we came to a clearing and the stream led to a tremendous lake. It was the largest lake I've ever seen. It was even bigger than the one back at the clinic. Then I saw it. There in the middle of the lake was a building. It looked a little old, majestic, and one of those buildings that looked like something you see from a fairy tale. One thing was for sure, I've never seen anything like it.

"Whoa... what is that place?" I asked.

"You'll see," said Finn. "For now, try to keep up with me."

"Keep up with you?" I pondered. "What do you mean by that?"

My answer came sooner than I expected. For suddenly, a magic circle appeared on Finn's back and a pair of wings made out of water sprung forth. My eyes went wide in shock and surprise.

"Finn?! You can use magic?!" I gasped.

"Come on Willy," said Finn as he spread his wings and took off flying towards the building.

"Wait...! How am I supposed to..."

"Come on Willy. You can swim can't you?" called Finn. "Hurry up or I'll leave you behind!"

Having so many questions and not wanting to left behind and having pretty much no other means of following him, I dove into the water clothes and all. Even with my clothes on, I could still swim pretty fast. Finn right above a few feet ahead on me while I swam beneath. Soon we came to the building. Finn touched down on the floor dispersing his wings and I popped my head out of the water. Finn reached out as I took his hand and he pulled me up. I was dripping with water from head to toe.

"Hold on Willy," said Finn. "Let me dry you off."

He held out his hand and another blue magic circle appeared. Then I felt something strange on my clothes. I looked and water was seeping out from them. As the water seeped out I could feel them getting drier. The water was even getting off my skin. Soon I was dry and all the water that had been removed from me had collected on Finn's hand in a big water ball. Finn threw the ball and landed in the water with a splash.

"There we go. You're all dry now," said Finn.

"Whoa... Finn! I didn't know you could do that!" I said awed by what I saw. "You can use water magic just like me!"

Finn chuckled. "I sure can. Sorry if I kept it hidden."

"So... what is this place?" I asked. "It looks like some kind of palace."

"It's nothing special really," said Finn. "This is just a place where I go to train and develop my magic abilities and this is where a good friend of mine lives."

He opened the big doors and went inside with me following behind him. Inside there was a great big pool of water in the middle of the floor. Finn walked along the edge and called out.

"Hey Master! I'm back! And I brought Willy along with me!"

There was a long silence. Then I saw something move about in the water. I walked along the edge standing next to Finn to get a better look at the water. There was nothing there. Then something slowly rose up from out of the water and an old woman rose out of the water sitting in a meditating position with her eyes closed. Upon seeing her, I realized that she wasn't just an ordinary woman.

"Wait a minute. That's the old woman who helped me the other day," I said. "Is she..."

"That's right," said Finn. "Willy. Allow me to introduce my mentor, one of the greatest water mages this world has ever seen... Master Tu Chi."

As if she was waiting for Finn to introduce her, Tu Chi eyes opened and she stood up from her meditating state and stood on top of the water like it was the ground and starting walking towards us. She raised her hands and summoned a big blue magic circle. Then the water rippled around her and small strings of water started to come out above the water and they came towards her. She slowly swirled her hands around as the gently pooled up and collected in her hands as it formed a ball of water. She held it above her hands and then sent it into the air. When the ball of water was high enough, she raised her hand and clenched into fist. The ball of water burst and mist like rain fall came down and a staff came falling. Tu Chi caught it and she came walking towards us. I couldn't believe my eyes from what I had just witnessed. I've never seen someone command the water like this. It was incredible.

"What did you think Finn?" asked Tu Chi.

"Beautiful and awe-inspiring as always master," said Finn.

She then looked at me and I couldn't help but feel a little shy.

"Ah. It's you again Willy," she said. "It's good to see you again."

"H-hello Miss Tu Chi ma'am," I said. "Wait... how do you know my name? This is only the second time we've met."

"Let's say a little birdie told me," said Tu Chi. "Now come, why don't we have some tea?"

She led us to a separate room with the table and she poured a cup of tea. In the corner of the room, I was greeted by another familiar face. It was the green bird creature from before sitting in the corner of the room on a perch sleeping.

"Hey... Isn't that..."

Then the bird creature woke up. The moment it saw me, it cawed and flew towards me. It circled around me a couple of times and then it landed on my shoulder.

"Willy. You've met my companion Jade have you? She's my trusted companion as well as my faithful friend."

"Yes. I have ma'am," I said as I petted Jade on her head. "So Jade's your name huh? It's nice to meet you.

Jade cawed and she cooed as Tu Chi I petted her.

"Well this is a shocker," chuckled Finn. "I've never usually seen Jade this happy to see someone."

"She's quite smitten with him isn't she?" smiled Tu Chi. "After all, he was the one that helped her back when she was being picked on by those other birds earlier."

I looked at Tu Chi in surprise. "How did you know that?" I asked.

"Jade told me of course," said Tu Chi. "She told me how kind you were by helping getting some berries for her even though you were starving to death."

"Really? Jade told you that? But... birds can't talk. Can they?" I asked turning to Finn.

"It's just one of those things Willy," said Finn. "Master here can tell what Jade is saying just by one chirp. I've been curious about it myself, but that's the only explanation Master would give me."

"I see."

Tu Chi then got a tray with a tea kettle and three cups. "Would any of you two like some tea?" she asked. "It's freshly made."

She poured the tea in each of the cups and gave one to Finn and the other to me. They both took their tea and sipped it happily. I sipped a little tea to see how it tasted. My eyes widened a little.

"This tea tastes... a little bitter," I thought. "but...it's good at the same time."

I sipped the tea some more trying to get used to the taste. The more I sipped the more I got used to it.

"So Willy how do you like the tea?" asked Finn. "It's not too bitter is it?"

"Well... kinda, but don't worry. I like it. I just need to get used to it."

"Now then Willy," said Tu Chi. "I believe I know why you are here."

"You do?"

"Yes. You are looking for a way to make some jewel, so you can help the Strauss siblings with their debt. So you are wanting to get stronger so you can take on some of the bigger jobs to make some jewel right?"

"That's... exactly right," I said. "Do you use your magic to read minds?"

"No. Not really. I'm just using my common sense is all," said Tu Chi. "I also know that you're searching for a mentor of sorts which is why Finn brought you to me."

Tu Chi paused impressively before speaking again.

"Very well. I will train you."

"Really? You will?" I asked.

"Yes. However, I must warn you Willy. My training might be very difficult for you," Tu Chi said sternly. "This will be training unlike anything you have done before. Be prepared to work hard. Is that understood?"

"Yes ma'am!" I said. "Thank you ma'am! Please take good care of me ma'am!"

"There's no need to call me ma'am," chuckled Tu Chi. "You may call me Master or my usual name."

"Yes Ma'... I mean Yes Master Tu Chi," I said quickly correcting myself.

"Good response," said Tu Chi. "Finn. Do you mind if Willy trains along side you?"

"Not at all master," said Finn. "In fact, it'll be a lot more fun training with another person."

"All right then," said Tu Chi smiling. She got up and grabbed her staff with Tu Chi landing on her shoulder. "Then let's get started then shall we?"

"Wait... we're starting right now?" I asked.

"Of course," said Tu Chi. "As they say we must strike while the iron's hot. Besides, I have to see where you stand so I'll know what to work with with you."

She went to the closet in the room and got out some clothes and handed them to me.

"Put this on," she said. "Those will be your training clothes for now on. Wear them well. I want you both ready and outside in a few minutes. Don't be late now."

And with that, Tu Chi left leaving me and Finn alone. At this point, two kinds of feelings were going through my mind right now. In was feeling excited because I was gonna start training right away and I was gonna be sparring with Finn, but at the same time I was feeling nervous because I was afraid I wouldn't do very well and how sudden this all was. I never expected to start this soon. Then I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up and saw Finn smiling down at me.

"You feeling nervous?" he asked.

"Just... a little bit," I said.

"I wouldn't be worried," said Finn. "I was feeling what you were feeling when I was your age and started training. You'll be fine. Besides I'm sure there'll be a bit of handicap. So you'll be fine. Also Master Tu Chi is a pretty kind woman and she's also one of the greatest water mages I've ever known. Just do your best and everything will be fine."

"OK. I will. Thank you Finn," I said feeling a little less nervous.

"Now then let's get change," said Finn. "Let's not keep Master waiting."

"Right," I said as I took my shirt and got undressed and Finn followed suit. I didn't know how I would fare or how I would do when I would spar with Finn, but I was gonna give it my best. I'm gonna get stronger no matter what and there ain't no one or anything that was gonna stop me. Well... at least I hope nothing will.

* * *

 _Whew! Sorry it took a while, but that's it! The old woman's name is finally revealed!_

 _I would personally would like to thank Tiffany for helping me come up with a name that fits so well! XD XD XD_

 _Anyhoo, things are gonna get tough for Willy from here on in! How will he fare when he spars with Finn?_

 _Keep watching... or in this case reading and stay tuned!_


	18. Chapter 18 Preparing

_Ladies and Gents reading this story! This story is now being followed by 30 followers! Yay! Thank you so much for those of you who have followed my story! I'll keep working hard on this fanfic for you guys! Until then, enjoy the next chapter and don't be afraid to give me some ideas, reviews, and pointers! Till then... happy reading!_

* * *

Chapter 18

Preparing

A few minutes later me, Finn, and Tu Chi were outside the dojo were at an open field close to the lake. Me and Finn were both wearing t-shirts with loose fitting pants with a belt. The only difference was that Finn's shirt was white and his pants and belt were both different shades off blue. Light blue his pants and dark blue for his belt. As for me my shirt was blue and my pants were black and the belt was white.

"All right then," said Tu Chi. "Before we begin, I need you to know a few things Willy. So pay attention."

"Yes."

"This sparring session is to test you to see where you stand," Tu Chi continued. "The match will continue for about twenty minutes. You're both can use your fists and magic and you both are allowed to dive into the lake if you wish. This will be a kind of test Willy. A test to see where you stand in regards of your strength and your magic power."

"Yes master," I said.

Tu Chi then turned to Finn.

"Finn. Be sure to go easy on Willy, but not too easy. I'm also going to be keeping an eye on you to see how your training is coming along."

"Hai Sensei!" said Finn.

"Good. Now... Hajime!"

I looked at Tu Chi a little confused by her words.

"Excuse me, but what does that word mean?" I asked.

"It means begin," said Finn. "Which means the match has started!"

Finn suddenly ran towards me and swung his foot around in a roundhouse kick aimed right for my face. I barely ducked and dodged the attack just in time. I then jumped back and tried to gain some distance away from Finn, but before I had a chance to react, Finn quickly closed the distance and rapidly punched at me with quick blows. I dodged again tilting my head to the right and to the left dodging his attacks. Then Finn swung his foot aiming for my face again. I instinctively crossed my arms to block, but Finn did a feint move and his leg hit me right in my midsection instead. I felt the breath of my lungs leave me as the force of his kick sent me recoiling back. I held my midsection in pain and sucked in air trying to get my breathing back in order.

"You alright Willy?" asked Finn. "I may have used a little too much force on that one."

"I'm... fine," I said coughing a little. "I've taken a lot more than that when Aquadia was training me."

"I see," said Finn. "Can you continue?"

I gave my answer by my clenching my hands and igniting with my magic power.

"I guess I'll take that as a yes," said Finn.

"WATER DRAGON IRON FIST!"

Now it was my turn to go on the attack. With my hands cloaked in magic power in the form water, I threw my iron fist attack straight at Finn, but Finn sidestepped it dodging with ease. My fist slammed into the ground making ground slightly tremble and there was also some debris flying here and there. I then cloaked my leg with water and used my next spell.

"WATER DRAGON TALON!"

I jumped on and brought down my leg in a power kick aimed for Finn's head. Finn reacted by crossing his arms and blocking the attack, but the force of my attack sent him skidding a little along the ground. I stayed on him by attacking with another talon attack. Finn dodged again, but my attack barely scratched him causing his shirt to have a small rip. Finn gained some distance by flipping and landing safely on the ground.

"Well, well Willy. You're certainly stronger than I expected," said Finn. "You even managed to rip my shirt."

"You're very strong yourself Finn," I said panting a little.

"However... you're gonna need a lot more than that," said Finn. "Your attacks are too predictable and your using too much magic power. At the rate you're going, you won't be able to even land a punch on me."

My eyebrow twitched a little and then I scowled in slight anger.

"Oh yeah? Then how about this one!?" I said as a magic circle appeared below me. "WATER DRAGON CLONE!"

Then two copies of me appeared from my left and my right. The clone on my right straightened his hands cloaking then in water while the second clone on my left began shooting out water from his elbows. I ran toward Finn and I released huge jets of water from both of my hands and flung them at Finn.

"WATER DRAGON WING ATTACK!"

The spell shot straight at Finn and hit him with a mighty boom making a huge dust cloud. The attack seemed to hit it's mark, but then from the cloud Finn with his water wings soared high into the air unscathed by my attack. Luckily I anticipated this.

"Go get em guys!" I said.

My clones nodded and went on the attack jumping straight at Finn ready to attack.

"WATER DRAGON GUSHING ELBOW!"

"WATER DRAGON BLADE!"

Both of my clones both attacked Finn and it seemed that their attacks would connect, but Finn blocked both their attacks using both his hands. My eyes widened in surprise while Finn had a slight smirk on his face.

"Sorry Willy, but don't think that I'll be overwhelmed by numbers."

He then threw both of my clones down to the ground below. Then using his wings, he floated down gently until he touched down on the ground. Both of my clones were battered and shaken from being thrown, but then they disappeared turning into water. Now I was feeling a little worried. I never expected Finn to be this strong. He barely took any damage and he was able to take all of my attacks if not predicting them. Not to mention I was getting a little tired and running a little low on magic power. There has to be a way to get to him. At least to have him catch him off guard. Then I had an idea.

"WATER DRAGON CLONES!"

I once more made clones. This time three of them. Finn simply stood there calmly and took a fighting stance. I looked at my clones giving them each a nod. Then all of us surrounded Finn from and attacked him at once. I stayed a few feet back and concentrated. I gathered all of my magic power and focused it All three of the clones each attacked Finn either punching or kicking them, but Finn either parried or blocked the blow with ease.

"Come on Willy surely you can do better than this," said Finn. "You're getting more predictable by the second."

Finn then deployed a magic circle from his hand and a weapon of water formed. From the looks of things, it appeared to be some kind of sword.

"Now then, I guess it's time for me to attack now," said Finn.

When one of my clones attempted to hit Finn with a punch, Finn blocked it with ease and then before my clone had a chance to react, Finn had rapidly slashed the clone in half. The clone split in half and dissolved into water. The other two clones seeing that stepped back a little in fear. I continued to focus on charging my magic power.

"Just a little more..." I thought. "Please keep him stalled for just a little longer..."

My cheeks began to chuff out with water as the magic power began to build in my mouth. My other two clones continued to fight Finn trying to buy me the time I need, but Finn was beginning to overwhelm them. He kept blocking both their attacks and parrying them. Then one of the clones used a spell.

"WATER DRAGON BLADE!"

The clone straightened both his hands cloaking them with water and attack Finn slashing him rapidly left and right. Finn using his blade blocked every attack the clone threw at it. Then the other clone leaped into the fray and used the blade spell as well. Both clones attacked and slashed at Finn trying to at least get a hit in, but Finn kept blocking every blow. I was almost done charging, but I had to hurry. My clones wouldn't last forever.

"Come on... come on... come on... Almost done..."

Finn then saw me charging my magic power and immediately realized what I was up too. He continued to parry the blows of each of my clones and then when parried one, he saw an opening and attacked. He slashed at it's side stopping a few feet behind him. The clone turned around and attacked Finn once more, but it dissolved into water before it could get close to him. Now there was only one clone left. The last clone jumped in from above and attempted to slash Finn aiming for his shoulders, but Finn jumped back and dodged the attack. Then with a quick glint in his eye, he immediately attacked the clone with a flurry of kicks and punches. My clone tried to block the attacks, but Finn's blows were too fast and powerful and they connected hit after hit and blow after blow until Finn finished with a blow right on the clone's chin while holding his small water sword. The clone was launched high into the air until it fell back into the ground. When it made contact to the ground, it dissolved into water.

"Now then... it's time to end this Willy," said Finn turning to me.

"I agree," I said. "I'll end it this!"

My cheeks were fully chuffed and my magic power was at it's highest. I unleashed by one of my most powerful spells.

"WATER DRAGON ROAR!"

A huge beam of unleashed from my mouth and headed straight at Finn. Finn's eyes widened in surprise as the attack hit him with a mighty boom. The attack shook the area and water sprayed everywhere creating a mist.

"Yes! I got him!" I cried victoriously. "No one could get up after that!"

It seemed that I managed to finally land an attack on Finn, but when the mist cleared. My eyes widened in surprise. In the middle of the mist was a barrier of water and in that barrier of water was Finn completely unharmed.

"No way... He... blocked it...?" I murmured in shock.

I couldn't believe it. My breath attack was one of my best moves. How was anyone be able to withstand that attack let alone block it? How? How?

"That was pretty good Willy," said Finn as he dispelled his water barrier. "Not bad actually. You almost got me with that attack. However... an attack like that won't do anything against me."

Then the look on Finn's face changed. It was a look that said 'I'm gonna get you and take you down.' A look that looked like that he was gonna kill me. It was a look on Finn's face that I had never seen before. A look that I'd never thought was possible to appear on his face. As soon as soon as I saw that, I instinctively stepped back sensing danger.

"Now then... it's my turn to attack," said Finn. "Sorry about this Willy."

Suddenly Finn disappeared in a great speed I couldn't follow. Before I had a chance to react, Finn appeared right in front of me using his sword slashed upwards. I instinctively dodged the attack just barely by jumping backwards, but suddenly I felt a blow land right on the side of my hip hard. The blow sent me rolling to the ground, but I was able to get back on my feet. Finn was immediately on me about to attack me while I was down. I brought my fist up attempting to use my defense magic.

"WATER DRAGON GEY- BLUARG!"

Finn stopped me by punching me square in my jaw and sending me sprawling to the ground. I coughed tasting the dirt and some slight blood in my mouth. I turned around trying to get away from Finn, but before I knew it I was on the end of Finn's blade pointed directly at my face. My eyes were wide as saucers and my body was frozen. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't attack, couldn't defend, nothing. Not to mention my magic power was low. I was helpless.

"Ya-me!"

Then Tu Chi said another word I didn't understand. As soon as Finn heard that, he moved his sword away from me and dispelled it.

"Willy? Are you OK?" he asked.

I stared at him dumbly and I slowly nodded my head. "I'm OK, but... you're strong Finn. You... were like a completely different person."

"Hehehe. I have been told that on many occasion, but thank you for the compliment."

Finn then held out his hand as an offer to help me up. I took his hand and Finn pulled me up. Tu Chi then came up to us was a smile on her face.

"Hahaha. Well done both of you. That was a good sparring session if I ever saw one," she said applauding.

"Thank you Sensei," said Finn bowing.

Tu Chi then turned to me.

"Willy. You've displayed very strong magic and very good at close combat," she said. "However there's quite a few things you need to work on."

"What are they?" I asked.

"First of all, Your biggest problem I can see based your fight just now is your magic itself. Your magic attacks are strong but they're a little on the slow side. You have to try and make your attacks happen faster so the opponent won't be able to react. Secondly, I've noticed that when you're making your clones your giving them some of your magic power. Maybe a little too much. You can't just give away your magic power willy nilly. It's good to have clones to fight along with you, but you can't give them too much magic power for if they're destroyed in a battle then all that magic power goes to waste."

"OK Master," I said nodding. "I'll keep that in mind."

"And one more thing," continued Tu Chi. "Your Water Dragon Roar. It took way too much time to charge up. It was good that you were using clones as a distraction, but that's the most obvious attack in the book. Finn could have easily dispatched your clones and stopped you from using your attack. If Finn had gotten serious or if this was a real battle, you could have knocked out or killed in an instant."

"Seriously?!" I said looking at Finn as if he just did something to insult me.

"Well... she said to hold back," said Finn scratching his cheek. "Plus... I was kinda interested to see what magic you were going to use."

I felt a twinge of anger go through me. Not because of what Tu Chi had told me and not because of Finn holding back on me, but it was because they were right. How could I not have seen this sooner? I looked down on the ground clenching my fists in frustration. I felt like I wanted to scream, but Tu Chi gently placed a hand on my shoulder causing me to look at her.

"Come now, don't be so angry," she said. "I had this sparing session for a reason remember? It was to see what I would be working with and what you needed to improve on. Besides, you didn't do too bad."

"She's right you know," added Finn. "When I was your age and started training, I was probably worse than you."

"Really?"

"Really. Although... I won't go into details," said Finn scratching the back of his head.

"Now then. Finn. You're next," said Tu Chi. "You will be sparring with me next. Same rules."

"Hai Master," responded Finn.

Tu Chi took her staff and planted it into the ground. Jade flew away from her and landed next to me.

"Watch closely Willy. Keep a close eye on what you're about to see," said Tu Chi.

"OK..." I said hesitantly.

Finn and Tu Chi stood a few feet away from me locked in some kind of stare down. Finn took a fighting stance and Tu Chi did the same. Neither one moved a muscle. A couple seconds had passed by. Then a gentle breeze blew through the trees blowing a couple of leaves off. A stray leaf drifted down past us and headed towards the lake. It slowly drifted down until it gently touched the surface of the water. The moment the leaf touched the water...

"Hajime!"

Suddenly Tu Chi shouted that word which meant beginning again and then she and Finn disappeared in an instant.

"What the... Where did they..." I began to say, but suddenly I heard something

on my right. I looked to my right, but there was nothing there. Then I heard a sharp clang on my left. I looked to my left, but once again I didn't see anything there. This went on again and again seeming like all around me. I couldn't see anything that was going on. Then I heard a loud clang above me. I looked up and I was finally able to see Finn and Tu Chi. They were above me several feet into the air their fists locked against each other. They pushed each other away and landed on the ground a few feet away from each other.

Then Finn attacked Tu Chi with a flurry of blows, but Tu Chi dodged them with ease. The blows were so fast I could hardly see them. It fact, the blows were even faster than when Finn fought me before. Tu Chi kept dodging Finn's blows until she back flipped away from Finn and then she attacked next. She threw a right punch, a left kick, and a right uppercut in a blinding speed. Finn dodged the first two blows by tilting his head left and right and on the third blow he jumped back.

Jade squawked and jumping up and down as if she was cheering them both on. I continued to watch the fight, my eyes wide and my mouth hanging open. Back in the fight, Tu Chi continued to attack Finn and Finn kept dodging. Then Finn jump upwards so he was above Tu Chi then put his hands on his thighs and pulled them upward. On his hips a magic circle appeared on each of them and from where he pulled a water star appeared on each of them. They hovered on his hands and then hurled them towards Tu Chi. \Tu Chi back flipped away from them dodging both and then when she got her footing a magic circle appeared in her hand and a giant ball of water appeared in her hand. She aimed it and fired it at Finn. Finn summoned another water star and threw it at Tu Chi's attack. The attacks collided making a giant burst of water. The recoil sent Finn flying back, but he was able to land safely on the surface of the lake.

"Not bad Finn," said Tu Chi. "You've gotten stronger over these past years."

"Thank you Master, but I'm just getting started," said Finn.

A blue magic circle appeared and his small water sword appeared in his hand. He twirled it around in his hand and took a fighting stance ready to continue. Tu Chi smiled and raised her hand. She also made a blue magic circle appear. However, her weapon was different from Finn's. Hers was a staff which about five or six feet long with a blade at the end of it. Both fighters then started to run heading towards the lake. As they entered the water they ran on top of it as if the ground had never left them. Then they both ran straight for each other and clashed with their weapons. The water rippled and sprayed from the collision. Both fighters then attacked each other again and again each of them attacking and blocking.

After a few minutes of that, the both started to move again. As they ran, they continued to fight with their weapons as the sound of metal rang throughout the lake. I watched from afar not believing what I was seeing. It was like something from a dream or from a storybook.

"They're... both so incredible...!" I breathed.

Suddenly they started coming my way. They made it back onto dry land and were still attacking each other. Then with a fierce cry Finn attacked Tu Chi slashing with his weapon with all of his might. Tu Chi retaliated by twirling her staff around and slashed downwards towards Finn. Both weapons collided with a mighty clang. Someone's weapon was knocked away and the weapon landed a few feet away from Finn and Tu Chi. That weapon belonged to Finn.

"Ya-me," said Tu Chi lowering her weapon and dispersing it. "Very well done Finn. You've definitely improved over the past year."

"You give me too much credit," said Finn as he waved his hand and made his sword disperse. "I still have a long way to go."

"You're so strong Finn!" I said my eyes sparkling with wonder. "And you too master! You both were moving so fast! It was amazing!"

"Hahaha. Thank you Willy," said Finn. "But again you give me too much credit."

"True. There is always room for improvement," said Tu Chi pulling her staff out from the ground. "and yet there's also room for giving yourself a pat on the back Finn."

"Thanks Master," said Finn bowing politely.

"Remember what you have just seen today Willy," said Tu Chi turning to me. "For you have the potential to be just as strong as Finn is. Maybe even greater."

"I do?"

"Yes. When I'm done, you will be a stronger water mage than you ever have before."

My eyes sparkled even more with determination. I felt inspired, pumped, and most of all filled with admiration and respect for Tu Chi and Finn.

"Anyway that's all for today," said Tu Chi. "Keep your training clothes Willy. They're yours now. Your real training will be begin in tomorrow. Is that understood?"

"Yes Master!" I said bowing politely.

"Good," said Tu Chi. "You are both dismissed."

* * *

After that, me and Finn left the dojo behind us and were walking back home. I was still feeling a little sore from before, but I cast a small healing spell and I was feeling a little better.

"You feeling OK Willy?" asked Finn.

"I'm fine," I said. "But you could have punched me a little lighter you know."

"Yeah... sorry about that, but I did say I would be holding back," said Finn. "Besides, you'll be fine, but what do you say I'll make it up to you with some fish for later? Sound good?"

"Fish?!"

The moment I heard that four letter word, my tummy slightly rumbled.

"Yeah! I'd love some fish, but... I'm kinda hungry now," I said.

"In that case, how about I take you somewhere for lunch right now?" asked Finn. "And hey, this could be the perfect opportunity to show you the board where they post the jobs. Sound fun?"

"Sounds great," I said smiling.

And so Finn and I walked back into Osia and headed for the center of town. As we walked, we passed by different townspeople who were going about their way chopping wood, cleaning their windows, and many other things. There was also some kids going about their merry way playing either tag or some other game. Soon we came to the middle of town and Finn led me to a giant bulletin board by a building with lots of flyers on it with a couple of people standing by it here and there checking out the flyers.

"See that big bulletin board where the people standing by it Willy?" asked Finn. "That's the job request board. That's where people can take jobs to make some jewel. We don't have an official guild yet, but it's still a good way to get a job as long as the request was made in town."

"I see," I said. "So if you want a job, you just take a flyer and go?"

"Not exactly," said Finn. "First you have to clear it through with the person in charge of the board first and get permission."

"I get it."

"So that's where I can get a job," I thought to myself. "All I have to do is get a flyer, get permission and..."

Suddenly, something caught my eye. I saw a certain someone standing by the bulletin board looking at flyers.

"Hey Mira!" I called out waving and walking towards her with Finn following behind me.

Mira turned towards my voice and when she saw me and Finn, she smiled and waved back as we came up to her.

"Hey Willy. Hey Finn."

"How are you today Mira?" I asked.

"I'm doing fine. Thank you," she replied.

"You looking for a job as usual?" asked Finn.

"Yeah. Most of the jobs aren't much, but I know that there's a good one in there somewhere," said Mira.

"Are Lisanna and Elfman around?" I asked.

"Nah. They're over at Sieri's place. I asked her to watch them while I get a couple jobs done."

"You're not gonna go for a huge job again are you?" I asked.

"Don't worry. I'm not making that mistake again," said Mira. "I'm just gonna take some of the smaller jobs and call it a day."

"Well that's good," said Finn. "Just be sure to take one job at a time. The last thing you want to do is overwork yourself and end up back in my clinic."

"I know, I know," said Mira rolling her eyes a little. "You don't need to keep telling me over and over again Finn. I know. By the way, what brings you both this way? You gonna be taking a job or something Willy?"

"Um... not exactly," I said. "Finn was just showing me around town and also is taking me out for lunch. Besides, I don't wanna take any jobs right now"

"I see," said Mira. "So... Willy? Can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"You... um... remember anything? You know... from this morning?"

"Hmmm..." I hummed trying to remember back from this morning. "I don't think so other than you, Elfman, and Lisanna were causing a ruckus for some reason. Why do you ask?"

"Um... nothing. Just wondering that's all," said Mira looking at the ground slightly pink.

"In any case, we're gonna go Mira," said Finn. "Take care of yourself and be careful OK?"

"I will Finn," said Mira.

"Goodbye Mira!" I said waving goodbye as we both walked away. "Good luck on your job and do your best!"

And with that, me and Finn left the board.

"Hey Willy. How come you didn't tell Mira about you taking jobs to help her?" asked Finn.

"I... wanna keep it a secret for now," I said. "I wanna keep it as a surprise as a way for showing thanks. Plus... Mira probably wouldn't approve and would probably say that she doesn't need help. So please keep it a secret for now. Please Finn?"

"I understand," said Finn winking. "I won't tell a soul. Now then let's get you some lunch shall we?"

"Sounds great," I said smiling. "But... where are gonna go to eat?"

"You'll see," said Finn. "It's one of my favorite places to go eat whenever I feel like doing something special. It's right this way."

We walked down a street and then we turned to an alleyway. At the end of the alleyway, there was a small stand. In that stand was a man frying up some food that smelled wonderful. The man looked young probably about in his thirtys, looked a bit chubby with a mustache and had a small black beard.

"Hey! If it isn't one of my best customers, Finn!"

"Heya Sid. How's business?" asked Finn as he sat down on a stool.

"Everything's decent," said Sid. "Not too fast and not too slow. Just right thank you. I see you brought an extra customer along with you."

"Oh. This is Willy," said Finn. "Willy. This is Sid. One of the greatest chefs that you've ever seen."

"Aw come on Finn. You give me too much credit," said Sid scratching the back of his head blushing. "Anyway it's nice to meet you Willy."

"Nice to meet you too sir," I said.

"So what can I get you today Finn?" asked Sid. "The usual?"

"You know it," said Finn. "But I'd like two orders please. One for me and one for Willy."

"You got it!" said Sid and he went to work.

"What's he making Finn?" I asked a little hungry and curious.

"You'll see," said Finn. "Trust me. Once you get a taste of this, you'll probably want this better than fish."

After a few minutes, the food was done and Sid placed two bowls filled a food I hadn't seen before along with chopsticks. It was some kind of glazed orange meat on top of some white rice. I took one of the chopsticks and took one of pieces on meat and looked at it. It was certainly a strange looking food.

"What is it Finn?" I asked. "Is this some kind of meat?"

"Sure is," said Finn who was already eating his food. "It's one of the most delicious meats you'll ever taste here in Osia. Go on and try it. You'll love it."

As Finn continued to eat, he moaned in delight. I looked back at my food and looked at the meat I was holding with my chopsticks. I wasn't sure that I would like it so I took a small nibble of it. Then in that single moment the taste hit me like a ton of bricks. My tongue was hit by an incredible taste of tangy meaty goodness. It was the most delicious thing I have ever tasted. I took my chopsticks and ate some more savoring the meaty tangy taste.

"This is delicious!" I moaned. "What is this?"

"That my dear boy is my famous orange chicken and rice!" said Sid proudly. "The finest orange chicken and rice you can get only here in Osia."

"Mmmm! This is so good!" I said stuffing another piece of chicken in my mouth. "You were right Finn. This does taste a lot better than fish!"

"I'm glad you like it," said Finn smiling as he ate from his bowl. "Make sure you savor that taste because these next few days are gonna be rough."

"Rough?" I asked. "Rough how?"

Finn turned to me having a serious look on his face.

"Willy. The next few days are gonna be a bit difficult. Take it from me, I've been training under her for the past years. The training is rigorous and will probably more difficult than whatever training you went through before. I brought you here, so whenever you need to take a break or get a good place to eat, come here."

"I will," I said after swallowing some orange chicken.

"Also I want to warn you about the master's training," added Finn. "It might be a little... Never mind. I think it'd be best for you to find out for yourself. Just enjoy the food for now."

"OK!"

I turned back to my food and shoveled it into my mouth loving every bit of the taste.

* * *

A little later, me and Finn finished eating. Finn paid Sid for the food and we were on our way home. At this point it was getting a little close to the evening. Finn and I were heading back to the house when we ran into another familiar face. There was Sieri carrying a couple of bags and a parcel.

"Hey Sieri!" I called out waving.

"Oh hey you two," said Sieri. "How are you?"

"We're doing fine," said Finn. "What's that stuff you're carrying?"

"Just a couple of things I picked up from the market," said Sieri. "Oh! And real quick before I forget, I got a small gift for you guys. I bought some bread from the baker and he gave me a couple extra loaves. So I figured I'd stop by and give you guys some."

"How nice of you Sieri. We'll humbly accept this gift. In fact, why don't you have dinner with us?" said Finn. "Since you were heading for the same place we were."

"I'd like that very much," said Sieri. "Now that I think about it, I haven't been to your place in a while Finn. It'd be a nice change of pace."

"It's decided then," said Finn. "Willy? Can you help Sieri carry her things?"

"Sure thing Finn," I said taking the parcel Sieri was carrying and a couple of bags.

"Oh Willy, you don't have to do that," said Sieri.

"It's okay. I don't mind. I'd be happy to help you."

"All right then. You know, you're a very nice boy Willy," said Sieri patting my head.

After that, the three of walked back to our house. The sun was already starting to set by the time we got to the house.

"All right then," said Finn. "Willy why don't you wash up and get ready while me and Sieri get dinner ready?"

"OK!" I said as I went to the bathroom leaving Sieri and Finn by themselves.

"Well then, shall we get started?" asked Sieri pulling up her sleeves. "I'll lend you a hand in making dinner."

"Oh no. You're a guest. You don't have to help me if you don't want to," said Finn.

"Oh come on. I don't mind," said Sieri as she headed for the kitchen. "You always were a stickler for these kinds of things. Besides, you're not the only one who's a chef around here. Now let's cook!"

Finn sighed chuckling and shaking his head as he followed Sieri into the kitchen. Soon they were both bust preparing the food for dinner. Sieri was frying the fish while Finn prepared the rice and the tea.

"Be sure not to let the fish burn Sieri," said Finn.

"Don't worry Finn. I know how to cook a couple of measly fish," said Sieri.

"I know," said Finn as he took the kettle off the stove. Then he reached for a spoon to scoop the rice, but then he hand happened to bump into Sieri's hand as she was reaching for another utensil to use for the fish. Both of them looked at each other.

"Oops. Sorry about that," said Finn.

"No. The fault was mine," said Sieri retracting her hand. "You know... it's kinda like we're a family right now."

"How do you figure?" asked Finn feeling a little puzzled.

"Well you're the father obviously, I'm the mother, and Willy's our little boy," said Sieri.

Finn chuckled. "I guess that's kinda true," he said thoughtfully. "He has grown on me lately."

"So how is Willy doing?" asked Sieri. "He doing well?"

"Yes. He is. He's doing pretty good. I took him to see Tu Chi today," said Finn.

"And let me guess, Tu Chi is going to be training him. Am I right?"

"Hm. You read me like a book. You know me all too well," chuckled Finn.

"Of course. After all I've known you since we were kids,"smiled Sieri. "Back then you a bit of a rebel."

"Please don't remind me. It's bad enough to hear it from Tu Chi, but to hear it from you to? Heh. I really must have been a rebel."

"Hehehe. But hey, girls kinda like the rebel guy at times," said Sieri. "Because the rebel eventually becomes the softie when he grows up."

"What... do you mean by that Sieri?" asked Finn.

"Oh nothing," said Sieri turning back to the fish making sure that they were cooked pretending she didn't say anything. "So anyway, Are you gonna be joining Willy in his training tomorrow?"

"No. I have to work tomorrow," said Finn. "I'll be leaving Willy with the master while I work."

"Ah I see. I'll have to tell Elfman and Lisanna when I see them. They'll probably be wondering about where he is," said Sieri.

"Yes. Do me a favor and tell them would you?"

"No worries. I'm sure that they'll understand," said Sieri. "Speaking of which, Finn do you know how Mira's doing?"

"Last time I checked, we just saw her at the jobs board in the center of town. She seemed to be OK. Why do you ask?"

"Well... Lisanna just told me something about her today and I just couldn't help but listen.."

"Did she now?"

"Yeah. Lisanna was telling me that Mira is love with Willy."

Finn raised an eyebrow and looked Sieri like she had just told him what her favorite type of wood was.

"I beg your pardon?"

"I said that Lisanna told me that Mira is in love with Willy."

"And how do you figure that?" asked Finn as he finished scooping the rice and pouring the tea.

"Well for one thing she snuck into Willy's bed and embraced him passionately like a maiden in love," said Sieiri giving herself a hug. "Plus have you noticed that she's been acting weird lately?"

"Hmmm. Now that you mention it, she was a bit red in the face when I came in," said Finn thoughtfully. "Not to mention that she was asking Willy about this morning too. Although I don't know why."

"Finn don't you get it? I think it's obvious what's going on," said Sieri. "Here we have Mira, a young proud girl who lost her parents and has to take care of her siblings. She works hard and then goes on a job and risks her life to raise jewel, but along comes Willy who saves our heroine from certain doom which makes her fall in love. Not to mention that Willy gives her his bed to sleep with while he sleeps on the floor and so to repay him, Mira snuggles up in bed with him and..."

"Sieri. You really need to stop reading those romance novels," interrupted Finn pinching his nose. "and you gotta stop filling Lisanna's head with such things. Besides, Mira was just keeping Willy warm because Willy was sleeping on the floor. I'm pretty sure that it wasn't because she loves him. She's just a child.

"Oh come on Finn. Where's your sense of romance?" said Sieri. "Besides love can come from anywhere. Even from children."

"You always were the type of person to see the positive side of things," said Finn. "but that's what I like about you Sieri."

"L-l-like?"

Sieri blushed a bright shade of pink.

"As a good friend."

Sieri's blush completely vanished

"Oooh. Finn! Even though I'm an adult you still tease me!" she pouted.

"Hahaha. Because you're so much fun to tease," chuckled Finn.

"Meanie..."

"By the way, shouldn't keep an eye on the fish?" asked Finn pointing to the stove. "They're pretty close to burning you know."

"Eeep! I completely forgot!"

Sieri quickly went back to fish praying that she didn't burn them. Finn watched her with a smile on his face and then went back to pouring the rest of the tea.

* * *

 **WILLY'S POV**

A few minutes later, dinner was soon ready and we all ate sitting at the table. The fish was slightly burned, but I didn't mind. I have been living with a dragon for the past couple of days eating nothing, but fish over a fire. As long as it wasn't charcoal burnt, it was okay. As we ate, Finn and Sieri talked about some things. but I didn't pay too much attention to that. My thoughts were elsewhere. I was too busy thinking about the sparring fight I saw with Finn and Tu Chi today. The speed, the power, and the magic they both used. Every single second of that battle was etched into my brain. It made me feel inspired. Inspired to be strong just like them, but it also made me wonder if I could ever be strong just like them.

After we ate, Finn and Sieri took care of the dishes while I cleaned up the table. As I cleaned up, I continued to think about the fight I had seen. In my mix of emotions from thinking about it, I couldn't help but feel determined about training. I really wanted to learn the moves Finn and Tu Chi used. Especially the ones where Finn made those water stars and when Finn and Tu Chi made those weapons.

"Willy? Willy? Willy?"

"Huh? What?"

I snapped out of my thoughts at the sound of Finn's voice calling me which was coming from the front door. I went over to the door to find Finn and Sieri waiting for me.

"You OK Willy?" he asked. "I had to call you a couple times."

"Oh. Sorry about that," I said. "I was just thinking about something. It's nothing important."

"Alright then," said Finn. "Anyway, I was just telling Sieri about tomorrow. Tomorrow I have to work which means that I won't be able to go with you on training tomorrow. If you need any help or if you're no feeling well, feel free to come or Sieri or me OK?"

"OK."

"And if you need a break from time to time, I can get Elfman and Lisanna for you too," said Sieri. "They would love to hear from you."

"Thank you. I will," I said smiling.

"And one more thing," said Sieri.

She bent down and whispered something in my ear.

"Make sure you take good care of Mira."

I looked at Sieri feeling a little confused. "What do you mean by that Sieri?" I asked.

"Don't worry. You'll figure it out eventually," Sieri said winking. "Just do what I told you OK?"

"Um... OK. If you say so Sieri."

"Sieri? Don't go passing your advice to Willy," said Finn. "Need I remind you that he's a just boy?"

"And need I remind you what I told you before? There's no age limit for that." said Sieri mischievously winking as she left. "Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow. Bye Willy! Good luck with your training."

As we watched Sieri leave, Finn sighed as he pinched his nose rubbing his eyes.

"Oh brother. Sometimes I don't know half the things that woman is thinking," he muttered. "In any case, let's get you ready for bed Willy. You got a big day tomorrow."

"OK then," I said. "but Finn, what Sieri mean before? Something about age?"

"It's nothing," said Finn as he led me to bed. "Let's just say that you'll know when you're a little older."

* * *

 _Tu Chi is officially gonna start training Willy!_

 _What training will Willy go under? What things will he learn? Did he just get a lesson about women?_

 _lol Just kidding on that last past, but be sure to keep reading and don't be afraid to leave a review._

 _Dragoman out!_


	19. Chapter 19 To Catch A Mocking Bird

_Nice to see you again guys! Here's the next chapter!_

 _Enjoy and happy reading!_

* * *

Chapter 19

To Catch A Mocking Bird

 **WILLY'S POV**

I was sleeping soundly in my bed unaware of the day I was going to have. Then I felt someone shake me gently. I continued to asleep ignoring the shaking. The shaking came again and then I someone whisper.

"Come on Willy. It's time for you to get up," said the voice. "Wake up now."

I sleepily opened a sleepy eye to find Finn's face above me. I sleepily sat up and stretched.

"Morning Finn. -yawn-"

"Morning. Now come on, I gotta drop you off at Tu Chi's place early today so make sure you get dressed in your training clothes OK?"

"Yeah..." I said sleepily as I got out of bed.

"Make sure you're wide awake too. You got your first actual day of training today." added Finn. "We'll eat breakfast and then I'll drop you off at the dojo."

"OK."

I was still feeling a little groggy from being woken up so early in the morning, but I soon started to feel more awake. I was feeling excited for today was the day that I was gonna start training. It made me wonder what Tu Chi was gonna teach me. How to walk on water? How to use that water star move that Finn used? Or maybe how to make an awesome weapon out of water? It made me excited just thinking about it, but then again it probably wasn't going to be that simple.

I got dressed in my blue shirt and black pants and tightened my white belt. Finn got dressed in his usual doctor attire. Then he made us breakfast as usual and soon we were off to the dojo. Soon we arrived at the dojo and Tu Chi greeted us warmly.

"Good morning you two," said Tu Chi. "I take it you'll be skipping out today?"

"Yes. Sorry Master. I have to work," said Finn.

"No need to apologize. It's your job. Someone's gotta take care of the people," said Tu Chi.

"Now then, Willy you be good to the master and do your best OK?"

"OK." I said. "Have fun at work Finn."

"Thank you Willy. Good luck with your training," said Finn. "Make sure you do your best and do everything Master tells you."

"OK!"

"All right then. See you later."

And with that Finn left. Tu Chi then turned to me.

"Now then Willy, it's just you and me now," she said. "Are you ready to start your training?"

"Yes ma'am!" I said eagerly. "I'm ready!"

"Good. Then let's get started."

"So watch gonna teach me first Master?" I asked. "How to walk on water? How to make those water weapons you and Finn used yesterday? Or maybe how to throw those water stars?"

"Now, now, now. Hold your horses there," said Tu Chi. "You gotta get past my training before you can start learning the spells me and Finn know."

"Oh. OK. So what are you gonna have me do?" I asked. "I'll do whatever you tell me to do Master."

"Is that so? In that case let's begin."

Tu Chi then gave a small whistle and then Jade came flying towards us. She circled around a couple times and then landed on Tu Chi's shoulder.

"For first part of your training, all you have you to do is catch Jade." explained Tu Chi.

I raised an eyebrow at this. "Catch your bird thingy? That's my training?"

"Yes. You'd think that it seems pretty simple right? But what you don't know is, Jade's a pretty frisky creature, not to mention mischievous and is pretty fast on her feet. If you can't be able to catch her, you might as well give up on learning my spells."

"I'm not worried," I said with little confidence. "All I have to do is catch her right? It should be easy."

"You think so eh? Well then Jade, get running now. Don't let Willy catch you now. Oh. One more thing Willy."

Tu Chi raised her hand and a small white magic circle appeared on her hand and then a magic circle appeared in the center of my chest and also below me. Suddenly I felt a tremendous weight bear down on me making me almost fall but I managed to remain standing. It felt like my body had all of a sudden gotten heavier.

"What... the heck... is going on...?!"

"It's just a small gravity spell," said Tu Chi. "It can change an object's or a person's gravity. I just changed the gravity of your clothes. Your clothes now weigh about five times more than normal. It is a part of your training after all. Remember you have to catch Jade with the added weight and you can't take off your clothes or use your magic either. I made sure of that as you have seen before. The goal of this is for you to get used to the added weight so you can get stronger."

"How... am I supposed to catch Jade like this..?"

"The only thing I can tell you is that it may seem impossible, but it can be done," said Tu Chi. "Finn himself did this training need I remind you and don't worry, Jade has also been instructed not to fly away so things will be easier. Now then... Hajime!"

At the sound of that word, Jade took off with me following close behind. Due to the weighted clothing, Jade immediately left me behind going several feet away from me.

"Geez! This is impossible!" I complained as I trudged after her.

It felt like my body was made out of lead. I could barely walk with all these weighted clothes on. How in the world was I supposed to catch a bird when I felt more heavier than a sack of fish? Then I saw Jade. She stood a few feet away from me motionless. I waited till I was close enough then I pounced on her! Jade simply jumped up making me face fall right into the ground.

"Hey! I thought you said that Jade wouldn't fly away?!"

"She didn't," said Tu Chi pointing on my head.

I looked up only to find that Jade was resting on top of my head. I immediately reached up to grab her slamming my hands on top of my head, but I heard something crack and something sticky went all over my head and oozed down on my face. Jade had laid an egg on top of my head and I had smashed it making it go all over me. I wiped the egg from my face and I saw Jade who chirping while jumping up and down seeming like she was mocking me. Tu Chi couldn't help but chuckle.

"You see? I told you she was a mischievous one."

I clenched my fists shaking a little from anger and I gave Jade a smile that was determined, but was also seeped with anger.

"All right little birdy, you better start running," I growled. "because I'm so gonna catch you and when I get my hands on you... you're gonna be so sorry!"

I used all of my strength to jump up and pounce once again on Jade, but she ran out of the way making fall face first on the ground once again. I got back up and chased after her trudging slowly due to the weight of my clothes. My body felt heavy, but I refused to give in to that lousy bird. I was gonna catch her and complete this training no matter what it took! Even if it would take days!

A few hours had passed since then. I still was trudging like a turtle and I still wasn't able to catch Jade. I was lying on my back taking a break from all the running I did. I was sweaty, my body felt like lead even more still and I was feeling a little hungry. Then Tu Chi came up with a plate of food.

"Come on Willy. Time for a break."

Feeling hungry I staggered over to Tu Chi and sat down and started eating shoveling the food into my mouth.

"My, my. Somone's gotten quite the appetite," said Tu Chi.

"Well I gotta get back to my training as soon as possible," I said after swallowing some food. "I gotta get even with that pesky bird!"

"You remind me so much of Finn," said Tu Chi. "It really takes me back."

Hearing Tu Chi say that gave me an idea. Since she was talking about Finn away, maybe she can tell me how he did when he was training and then I can figure out how to get through this part of the training. It couldn't hurt to ask.

"You know... I'm curious Master," I said. "What was Finn like when you were training him? And how did he fare against your training?"

"Well... let's see," said Tu Chi putting a finger on her chin thinking. "He was stubborn, a bit abrasive, and he had a habit of wanting to get even with anyone who mocked him. I swear I couldn't begin to count how many times he picked a fight with me when I was training him. In short, he was rebel."

"And did he go under the training like what you were giving me now?" I asked. "If so... then how many days did it take him to pass this part of the training?"

"Yes he did," replied Tu Chi. "And as far as how long it took him, it took him about three weeks to complete this part of the training."

"Three weeks?!" I yelped nearly choking on my food. "You're kidding! You're telling me that it took Finn three weeks to complete the training?!

"Yes. I must admit it even I didn't think that he would last that long," said Tu Chi. "but he didn't give up and eventually after twenty first day from training, he caught her."

"Wow... That's awesome," I said.

"So, if you wanna get past this training you can't give up," she continued. "It's all about persistence and perseverance. It's not something you can teach nor can be taught. You have to find those things within yourself. Once you do, even the impossible can become possible."

Hearing those wise words made me feel a little confused because I didn't really get it, but hearing about Finn made me feel more determined to complete this training. Not only that, but it made me want to complete it even faster than Finn could. And so that became my goal.

A few minutes later, I had finished my food and I resumed my training. I was still staggering around from the weight, but I still kept on after Jade. She certainly didn't make it easy for me. Whenever she got a few feet away from me, she would wait till I got close and just when I would think I got her. she would then jump away and chirp at me taunting me which got me even more make things worse, she kept her egg attack coming. She would sit on top of my head and lay an egg on my head or whenever she jumped over me when I pounced, she would either fire an egg making it splatter on me or sit on my head lay one on me. Soon I was covered in egg whites, shells, and yolk. Not to mention my body was sore and I felt really tired, but I kept on going. Before I knew it, it was getting close to the evening. I was still chasing after Jade when I heard a voice call out to me.

"Willy! It's time to go home!"

I turned to the source of the voice and I saw Finn coming.

"Looks like that will do it for today Willy," said Tu Chi.

"Aww. Can't I stay a little longer?" I asked wanting to train some more.

"Now, now Willy. You're forgetting one of the most important things about training," said Tu Chi. Resting. It's important to rest as well as training. So go home and get some rest and we'll resume tomorrow."

"Oh OK," I said puffing my cheeks in a pout.

Then a magic circle appeared on my chest and below me. My body then felt lighter and I was able to move normally again.

"Hey you two," said Finn as he came up to us. "How did training..."

Finn trailed off when he saw me covered in egg. Then he looked at Jade.

"Ah. I see," he said. "So you're going through that kind of training huh? I remember my first day doing this. Still up to your old tricks eh Jade?"

Jade let out a chirp for an answer. I glared at her still feeling a little mad about what she had been doing to me.

"Just you wait you lousy bird!" I growled. "I'm gonna get stronger and catch you! Just you wait!"

Jade answered me by turning around and wagging her tail feathers. She was practically mocking me, but I was too tired to even bother.

"Come on Willy, let's go home and get you cleaned up," said Finn. "When we get home, I'll make you a nice dinner."

"OK."

"Well then, I'll see you tomorrow Willy," said Tu Chi. "Remember everything I have told you. Persistence and perseverance and plenty of rest. Understood?"

"Yes Sensei," I said.

Later that night, Finn made me dinner which I ate happily and I was now taking a bath because I still felt sticky from getting egg on me. As I bathed in the water, I thought about the training I went through. Needless to say I was feeling a little frustrated about it. I sank into the water letting the water help me relax and try not to think about it so much. Then I heard Finn call.

"Willy you OK in there?"

"I'm fine," I said sitting up.

"All right then. Make sure you get dressed and ready for bed. You got another days worth of training tomorrow."

"I know," I sighed and then I sank into the water once more letting out a breath making a bubbling noise.

After a few more minutes of sitting in the tub, I got out, dried off, and got dressed. As I got dressed, I happened to come across my necklace. As I looked at it, I couldn't help but think about Aquadia. It made me remember how I trained under her and whenever I was having trouble with the training, she would tell what I need to do. Tu Chi only told me about having persistence and perseverance. How was I gonna do both of those things when I was gonna be under that gravity magic?

"I really wish you were here to help me out Mama," I said to myself as I put my necklace around my neck. "I could sure use it right now."

As I came out of the bathroom, I heard Finn call me.

"Willy could you come here for a moment?"

I went over to the kitchen to find Finn washing a couple dishes in the kitchen.

"What's up Finn?"

"Could you help me put some of these dishes away?" asked Finn. "I just finished washing and drying these dishes and I could use an extra pair of hands to put them away."

"Sure thing," I said.

So I took a couple of dishes that Finn had already dried and stated putting them away.

"You doing OK?" he asked.

"Yeah I'm doing fine," I said. "Just feeling sore from training."

"You sure? You sound like you got a lot of things on your mind."

At first I felt like not saying anything to Finn, but then I thought it was pretty much pointless to keep it in. He does have some sort of power of reading me like a book.

"Actually... to be honest. I'm feeling a little frustrated right now," I said.

"Let me guess, Jade's gotten your skin and you're wondering how do you plan to catch her with your clothes being weighted and without your magic power right?"

I looked at Finn who was still drying the dishes. I figured it would be pointless to keep it in.

"Yes... That's exactly right," I said. "It... just seems impossible. How am I supposed to catch Jade if I can't get use my magic and having to be weighed down like that? Tu Chi also told me that I had to have perseverance and persistence, but... what does that even mean? I mean..."

Finn stopped what he was doing. He then turned towards me and bent down so we was at level with me.

"Willy let me ask you something," said Finn. "You love reading stories correct?"

"Yes. More than anything," I replied.

"Well then, have you heard of the story of The Princess and the Frog?" asked Finn.

"Yes. I have. My Mama read it to me when I was little."

"How about The Little Mermaid? The children's version of course."

"Yes. That one too."

"And Hercules?"

"Yes. Wait...why are you asking me about this?" I asked.

"Hold on, I'm getting to that," said Finn. "Do you know what these stories had in common?"

"Hmm..." I hummed trying to think. "I... don't know."

"Let me explain," said Finn. "First off in The Princess and the Frog, the princess was a hard working middle class girl who had big dreams in life. Even in the face of adversity she never gave up her dream. In Hercules, he wanted more than anything to become a true hero. It was hard and he almost gave up, but he kept going and he became a true hero. Lastly in The Little Mermaid, the mermaid more than anything wanted to win the heart of a human she fell in love with. It was hard and she even made a deal with the sea witch, but eventually she won the human's heart. Do you understand now?"

I thought about it and at first I didn't understand, but then it came to me. There was only one thing that these stories had in common.

"Wait... was it because... they never gave up?" I asked.

"Exactly," said Finn. "That is what it means to have perseverance and persistence. Take it from me, I also had a hard time with the training and look how I turned out. You gotta keep pushing and keep going. The only real mistake you can make is giving up. "

I looked at admiration. I've never seen him look passionate like this before. It made me feel inspired even more than than before. Finn placed his hands on my shoulders and looked at me straight in the eye.

"Willy. Not matter what happens, no matter how hard it gets, don't ever give up," he said. "Never give up till the very end. I'm sure your mother would want to tell you the same thing."

I stared at Finn. Then I smiled and I nodded with new confidence.

"OK! I'll do my best Finn!" I said. "I'll make you, Tu Chi, and everyone else proud! I'll master this training in about a week tops!"

Finn smiled and tousled my hair. "Atta boy. Now then... shall we get you to bed? You got another day of training ahead."

"Yes and Finn? Thanks a lot. I needed that."

Finn smiled. "Anytime. Now come on. You gotta get some sleep now. I want you awake bright and early tomorrow."

"Right!"

* * *

For the next couple of days, I continued to train over at Tu Chi's place while Finn was at work. Eleven days had passed since then. It was close to the evening and I was still chasing Jade as usual for my training, but this time around I was running around like I normally would. It took a while, but I was finally getting used to the weight on my clothes and was hot on Jade's trail. Jade noticing this change had stepped up her game and had no choice but to run as fast as she could. Tu Chi continued to watch with a big grin on her face seeing my progress while she was having tea with Finn.

I was still chasing Jade relentlessly. her being right there in front of me. I was so close! I reached out toward Jade as I ran, my hands getting closer and closer to her. Just when I thought she was within reach I pounced, but Jade jumped up and dodged me firing another egg at me. I caught the egg just before it hit me.

"Nice try Jade!" I said. "But I'm wise to your pranks! You're not gonna get me with your egg attacks this time!"

Jade squawked in surprise and went on the run once again with me following close behind her. Jade jumped up and fired a couple more eggs at me, but I caught them with ease and threw them back at her. Jade squawked and chirped dodging every one of them as they splattered into the ground. I jumped up and landed in front of her. Jade eyes went wide and ran in the other direction. I jumped up and landed in front of her again. Jade then began to squawk frantically in surprise and in fear and took off running.

"Not so funny now that you're the one being toyed with eh Jade?" I thought. "Now then, I think it's time I end this training!"

I once more chase after Jade. I slowly began to close in on her reaching out towards her. Jade ran as fast as she could, but she knew that I was closing in quick. And then finally, I jumped up pouncing on Jade and with a diving grab, I caught her. Jade struggled in my hands trying to escape, but I kept a firm and gentle hold on her.

"I... I... I got her..."

I straightened up and stared at the bird creature in my hands. Then I whooped with triumph and jumped up and down with Jade in my hands.

"I did it! I did it! I finally caught Jade!" I cheered. "Look Finn! Look Master! I did it! I finally did it!"

"I see that Willy," said Tu Chi smiling with pride. "Well done. It's only been almost two weeks now and you've already gotten used to the weight. I'd expect nothing less." He could even beat my record for completing the training."

"You see? I knew you had it in you!" said Finn giving me a tousle to my hair. "I'm proud of you Willy. You even beat my record for completing the training."

I beamed with pride. I took Jade who was still in my hands and lifted her up. She flew on top of Tu Chi's shoulder and preened her feathers.

"Well now Willy, it seems you're ready for the next phase of your training," said Tu Chi. "Are you?"

"Yes I am," I said. "Are we gonna get started right now?"

"Whoa. Hold on there Willy," said Finn. "I know you're eager to continue, but it's getting late. Not to mention that you haven't eaten dinner yet."

"Finn's correct Willy," said Tu Chi. "Besides, you've earned yourself some rest. Why don't you take a couple of days off?"

"Aww... I guess..." I said slightly pouting feeling a little disappointed. "But I'd much rather train some more."

"I know, but I must make preparations for your next part of the training," said Tu Chi. "Until then take some days off. You deserve it after all your hard work."

"Yes Sensei," I said.

"Hey. If you're still wanting to do something constructive," said Finn. "You can always go to the request board and pick a job request tomorrow."

"Really?"

"That's a good idea Finn," said Tu Chi. "It'll be a good way for you to see what a job is like. Think of it as another part of your training. You will take a job request by yourself. A simple one and easy one so you can get an idea of how jobs work and make some jewel on the side. Can you do that?"

"Yeah! I can do that," I said. "That would be great."

"Then it's settled," said Finn. "I'll walk you to the request board tomorrow. Until then, let's go Sid's. I'd say we should celebrate tonight. Orange chicken and rice on me!"

"All right!"

My mouth immediately started to water upon hearing the words orange chicken. My stomach started to get that hungry feeling as well.

"So when will you be ready to move on Sensei for Willy's training?" asked Finn.

"Don't worry. You'll know when it's time Finn," said Tu Chi.

"All right then," said Finn. "We'll see you later then Sensei. Come on Willy, let's get going to Sid's."

"Yes! See you later Master!" I said cheerfully as me and Finn headed back into town.

* * *

 **NO POV**

As Tu Chi watched the two boys leave, she couldn't help but feel not only feel happy but also excited as well.

"I can't believe it. In almost two weeks, he's completed the training even faster than Finn did. I knew that I sensed something special before, but now I'm even more interested in this boy. Perhaps he is worthy of learning my spells." She petted Jade on her head. "Don't you think so Jade?"

Jade squawked in annoyance still trying to fix her feathers.

"Oh come on now. You had it coming as soon as you shot eggs at him," chuckled Tu Chi. "Consider yourselves even. Come on. Let's get go inside so you can rest up and while we're at it, let's get the next part of the training for Willy ready."

And with that, Tu Chi headed inside the temple with Jade still preening her feathers.

* * *

 _Chapter 19 completed!_

 _I know the training for Willy was pretty obvious, but the next part of training will be a little different._

 _Anyways, feel free to leave me a review and check out the other stories I have on here!_

 _Dragoman out!_


	20. Chapter 20 Willy's First Job

Chapter 20 is now up! Happy reading!

* * *

Chapter 20

Willy's First Job

 **NO POV**

Mira, Lisanna, and Elfman were walking through town heading toward the center just like any other day. They were going to do some shopping.

"All right you two," said Mira. "We got some shopping to do."

"What do you we need to get Mira?" asked Elfman.

"Just a bit of the necessities Elfman," said Mira. "Bread, vegetables, and a fish."

"Fish? Why do we need fish?" asked Elfman. "Don't we have some meat back at home?"

"Well... um... no reason," stammered Mira. "I just figured that we get some fish to get some protein."

"Are you suuuure that's the reason?" asked Lisanna who was giving Mira a teasing look.

"Of course! What other reason would there be?" said Mira.

"Well... I can think of one," smirked Lisanna. "I'm thinking that fish is for Willy. Am I right?"

Mira face flushed bright pink. "What?! No way! Willy has nothing to do with that!"

"Suuure it does," said Lisanna cheekily.

"Now that I think about it," said Elfman. "It's been a while since we've seen Willy. I wonder how he's doing."

"Now that you mention it you're right Elfman," said Mira. "The last time I saw him was that day when he was with Finn. That was about a week ago. I hope he's OK."

"I'm sure he's fine," said Lisanna. "Besides, why are you worried about him Mira? Willy's a big boy."

"What? Who said that I was worried about him? I was just thinking of how he's doing that's it!"

As Mira blushed again Lisanna couldn't help but giggle from her reaction.

"Oh brother. Lisanna you really should stop teasing Mira like that," said Elfman.

"Oh come on, but where's the fun in that?" asked Lisanna sticking out her tongue teasing.

Elfman sighed in annoyance, but then he saw something. "Hey you guys. Look. Over by the request board."

Mira and Lisanna looked to the direction where Elfman was pointing and there by the request board, they saw two familiar faces.

* * *

 **WILLY'S POV**

Finn and I woke up the next morning and made our way through town towards the center and were now standing at the request board. I was feeling a little nervous about going on my first job, but at the same time I was feeling a little excited.

"All right Willy. You ready for your first job?" asked Finn.

"I sure am," I said. "So I just have to pick a job?"

"Yes," said Finn. "But like I said you before, try to pick an easy job. Something that you can do and only you."

"OK."

I looked at all the requests on the board trying to find a job that I can do. There were lots of jobs up on the board. There were jobs that had you go to a different town to bust monsters and there were others that had you to solve the mysteries for a lot of jewel. I assumed those were the S class jobs I heard about so I avoided those. I looked further down on the board and I saw it. I walked up to the board and grabbed the flier. It said: "Help needed! I need someone who's really good at fishing to help me down by the pier to get some more fish for my market! We're a little shorthanded and we could use all the help we can get. Whoever decides to take this job, meet me at my stand in town. Reward 20,000 jewel. Signed Marco."

"Hey Finn. Look at this," I said. "Can I take this one?"

Finn came over and I showed him the paper. Finn quickly skimmed through it and smiled.

"Well, well Willy," he said. "I'd say you picked yourself a winner. After all you do like fish."

"I sure do!" I said grinning. "I not only just eat fish, but I'm really good at catching them."

"I guess this job is right up your alley then," chuckled Finn. "What do you say that we get you cleared and then you can get started on your job?"

"OK!"

* * *

 **NO POV**

While Finn and Willy went to talk to the person in charge of the board to get him cleared to go on his first job, a certain someone was watching him from behind a corner with Lisanna and Elfman beside her.

"Looks like he's going a job," said Mira. "But I wonder which one he's taking?"

"Mira why are hiding like this?" asked Elfman. "It's like we're spying on them or something."

"Yeah. If you wanted to know what job Willy is taking you could just ask him," added Lisanna. "Are you worried about him or something?"

"No way!" whispered Mira. "I just wanna know what job he's doing. That's it."

Then she noticed Willy and Finn leaving the job request board and were almost out of sight.

"Crap! They're getting away!" said Mira as she chased after them.

"Hey! Mira wait up!" Elfman called out chasing after her.

Lisanna watched her two siblings and then sighed chuckling a little.

"As Sieri would say, A maiden's heart is a complicated thing," she said as she followed her siblings.

* * *

 **WILLY'S POV**

After getting cleared through the person in charge, Finn and I headed to Marco's stand. In case you didn't know, Marco was the meat guy that I first met a while back when Finn was showing me around town. When we arrived Marco greeted us warmly.

"Hey there Willy! Hey there Finn! How's it going?"

"Hey there Marco. It's going great thanks," replied Finn.

"So what brings you two towards my why?" asked Marco.

"I'm going out on my first job," I said showing him the flyer. "I saw your quest on the board."

"Ah! So you're gonna help me today. All right then," chuckled Marco. "But before anything else Willy, I have to ask; do you know how to fish?"

"Sure do," I said. "My mama taught me everything I know about fishing."

"Haha! Perfect! I needed a good fisherman. I was just about to leave to go fishing right now."

"Well in that case, I guess I better take my leave then," said Finn. "I got a lot of things to do today so I'll see you later Willy. Do your best."

"OK then. I will. Bye Finn," said Finn.

"Hey Marco. Make sure Willy works hard," said Finn. "But not too hard OK?"

"Don't you worry Finn," said Marco. "Willy's in good hands."

"All right then. Have fun you two," said Finn.

And he walked away until he disappeared from sight. Then Marco turned to me.

"All right then! Shall we get going Willy?" he asked.

"Yep. I'm ready if you are Marco," I said.

"All right then," said Marco. "Let's head for the pier then! We got a lot of fishing to do!"

And so me and Marco starting walking. Then I heard noise coming from behind me. I turned around to see where it came from, but I saw nothing there.

"What was that?" I wondered. "I could've sworn I heard something."

"Something wrong Willy boy?" asked Marco.

"I thought I heard something, but I guess it was nothing," I said scratching my head. "Anyway, let's get going."

We both turned around and started walking unknown to three spies that was hiding behind a corner watching us leave.

A few minutes of walking later, Marco and I made it to the pier. We were greeted by a group of other fishermen who were waiting for us by the dock.

"Hey Marco. Bout time you showed up," one said. "Did someone respond to your request?"

"Yeah. We sure could use the help right now," said another.

"Don't worry I brought some help," said Marco gesturing towards me.

When the fishermen saw me, some looked at me in surprise and others looked doubtful like it was some kind of joke.

"You mean that boy Marco?" asked the first one.

"Yup. This is Willy Falconer. He's going to be helping us out today," said Marco.

"Um... hi there," I said.

The first fishermen looked at me and then looked back at Marco.

"You sure about this Marco? I mean... I don't wanna be rude or anything, but you do realize that this a kid you got to help us right?"

"Don't worry. Willy tells me that he's a good fisherman. After all his mother taught him how," explained Marco.

The first fisherman looked at me up and down as if he was inspecting me which made me feel a little nervous.

"Oh man... I hope that these guys don't send me home or something," I thought. "Maybe they're underestimating me because of me being a kid."

Then the fishermen smiled.

"All right then. Willy right? Sorry about before. I guess we were a little surprised about a kid accepting the job request," said the fishermen. "We're happy to have you and thank you for your help."

"Oh sure. Anytime," I said feeling slightly relieved. "I'm happy to help. So... when do we start?"

"How about right now?" said Marco. "Let me just get our gear then and we can get started."

He then walked off to go get the supplies we needed.

* * *

 **NO POV**

Meanwhile Mira, Elfman, and Lisanna had followed Willy all the way to the pier still watching him from afar. They were hiding from behind a crate their head peeping out from the side.

"Wow... so this is where Marco gets the fish," said Lisanna with wonder. "I've always wondered where he gets them from. I figured he gets it from the lake or something, but I guess you learn something new everyday."

"Geez. It stinks of fish here," complained Elfman. "Mira do we really have to keep watching Willy like this? Don't we have shopping to do?"

"Shhh. Quiet," said Mira. "We have to keep it down. Otherwise they're gonna hear us."

"I still don't know why we're watching Willy like this," said Elfman. "I mean it's just his first job. I'm sure Willy's fine all by himself."

"Well... you never know," said Mira. "What if he gets into a pinch and there's no around to help him? I made a promise. He would help me and I would help him. And I wanna make sure that if he needs help, I'll be there for him."

"So in other words, you're worried him," said Lisanna cheekily.

"No I'm not worried!" snapped Mira her cheeks lightly pink. "Like I said I just wanna make sure that Willy's first job goes smoothly. That's it!"

"Yeah. That's pretty much the same thing as being worried," said Lisanna. "It's OK to be worried Mira. After all... you loooove him."

"Lisanna! Don't make me clobber you!" growled Mira clenching her fist. "That is not true and you know it!"

"Suuure it isn't."

As Lisanna giggled teasingly with Mira glaring at her angrily, Elfman sighed.

"It looks we're not gonna get the shopping done today," he said.

* * *

 **WILLY'S POV**

Soon Marco came back with the fishing gear. He bought a lot of fishing poles and also a couple of fishing traps. The fishermen grabbed their respective poles and got started fishing. A few other fishermen grabbed the traps, got on boats and rowed a few feet away from the pier. As soon as they were high enough, they dropped their traps in the water. As for me, I walked on the edge of the pier and prepared to fish myself. Then Marco came up to me with a couple of fishing rods.

"Come on Willy," he said. "I got a fishing pole for you."

"Thank you Marco, but I won't be needing that," I said.

Marco was puzzled. "Why not?"

"I got my own way of fishing," I said smiling.

I walked towards the edge of the pier and then took off my shirt. Marco looked at me a little surprised as I handed him my shirt.

"Marco could you hold my shirt please?"

"Um... sure, but Willy... what are you doing?" asked Marco.

"I'm getting ready to fish of course," I said. "I may not fish the way you do, but this is how I fish."

"If... you say so..." said Marco doubtfully.

I came to the edge and took a deep breath and with a giant leap I dove right into the water. The moment I felt the ocean water wash over my body, I felt a wave of nostalgia come over me. It had been so long since I felt the ocean. It was like I had finally come home to where I was meant to be. Using my breathing technique, I let out a satisfying breath savoring the taste of the salty water.

"It's been so long since I've done this," I said to myself. "Man this feels so great!"

I swam around testing the water which felt refreshing and cool. Then I saw something ahead of me. More like a whole bunch of things ahead. Up ahead was a school of fish swimming around by the reef. The moment I saw them, I suddenly remembered the task at hand.

"I almost forgot. I got some fish to catch!" I said. "Hope I'm not rusty since I haven't done this in a while. Well then, time to fish!"

I locked on to the school of fish and like a shark with it's prey, I swam swiftly forward the fish my fishing mode at full throttle.

* * *

 **NO POV**

Back up on the pier, Marco was trying to see where Willy was. It had been quite a while since he dove into the water.

"I hope that kid's OK," he thought. "He's been down there for quite some time."

"Hey Marco! Where's that kid you brought?" called a fisherman. "He didn't ditch us did he?"

"No he just dove into the water for some reason," said Marco. "Although I don't know why."

"He better not be goofing around," said another fisherman. "Because if he is then..."

Suddenly out from the water something came out and landed right in front of Marco. Marco looked down and there flopping around right in front of him was a fish. Willy then also resurfaced from the water.

"Hey Marco! How's that one?"

Marco looked at the fish and then he looked at Willy. Then his eyes widened in surprise as well did some of the other fishermen who saw what happened.

"What the heck!? Willy how did you do that?!" exclaimed Marco.

"It's nothing special. I just swam and used my hands that's all," replied Willy.

"You're kidding..."

Marco continued to stare at Willy and then his look of surprise slowly turned into a smile.

"Willy! Could you come over here for a minute? You just gave me an idea!"

Willy swam over to Marco and Marco whispered something into Willy's ear telling him his plan.

"You think you can do that?" asked Marco when he finished telling Willy his plan.

"Sure," said Willy. "It should be no problem."

And with that, Willy went back into the water. Then another fish came flying out in the water and another and another. The other fishermen who saw what was going on came to see what this strange phenomenon was. Then he heard one of the fishermen shout in the distance.

"Hey you guys! We caught something in the traps!"

Marco looked to see that one of the groups of men were hoisting up their trap. Inside the trap was a couple of fish.

"All right! We caught some!"

The group of fishermen cheered and some others along with them. Suddenly to Marco's right, a fishing pole tugged and began tugging harder. One of the fishermen immediately grabbed the pole and pulled with all his might.

"Oh boy! This is a big one!" he said. "Hey guys! Give me a hand here!"

A couple of other fishermen came and grabbed the pole helping the guy pull. With a might heave they hauled out another fish from the water.

"All right! It's working!" said Marco to yourself his eyes sparkling with excitement.

* * *

 **WILLY'S POV**

I was zipping around in the water chasing after the school of fish. Marco's plan was for me to chase after the fish while at the same time luring them to either the traps or the fishing lines. They would sometimes scatter in all directions, but that didn't stop me. Whenever that happened I would focus on one group and chase them till they were close enough. Other times when I was within reach, I would grab them and throw them to the surface so they wouldn't get away. So far I had caught about five medium sized looking fish and three large ones on my own. I looked around trying to find my next prey. Then I saw a couple more fish that broke away from the school.

"Now I got you!" I thought as I darted forward.

The fish sensing my approach quickly broke away again, but I had my eyes on a larger one the swam to my right. I quickly pumped my legs and swerved to the right in hot pursuit of my prey. The fish desperately tried to get away, but I was already right on top of it. As soon as it was close enough, I reached out and tried to grabbed it by it's tail, but it slipped out and swam towards the surface. I immediately followed heading towards the surface.

"WATER DRAGON AQUA JET!"

I pumped my legs and used a spell which made water shoot out from my feet shooting me forward. The fish then jumped out of the water bursting from the surface of the water and I came bursting out right after. While in the air I reached my hand out and was able to catch the fish. It struggled and it wiggled trying to break free, but I kept a firm hold on it. Then I felt myself falling back into the water. I also saw Marco on the pier whose eyes were gawking at what he was seeing.

"Marco! Catch!" I called out and I threw the fish towards him.

The fish came flying to Marco and he caught it. As I fell, I quickly straightened myself out and dove beautifully into the water. This went on and on and eventually it was getting close to evening.

"Whew. And that makes nine," I said to myself proudly. "I still got it. Anyways, I better ask Marco if that's all the fish he needs me to get."

I quickly swam up and resurfaced. The moment I did, there was a loud chorus of cheers all aorund. I looked to the source of the cheering and I saw that the fishermen were all cheering for me. I was a little surprised, but at the same time I felt flattered.

I swam back towards the pier and got out of the water. Marco and a few of the fishermen came rushing toward me.

"Willy! That was amazing!" said Marco bewildered and at the same time amazed. "How on earth did you that?"

"Like I said my Mama taught me how to fish," I said. "Also I know a little water magic."

"Well whatever you did, that was incredible!" said Marco. "I've never seen anything like it!"

"True that!" said a fishermen. "You also helped us catch a whole bunch of fish! I'd say we have enough to last for about a week!"

"Three cheers for Willy!" shouted another fisherman.

"Hip-hip-hooray! Hip-hip-hooray! Hip-hip-hooray!" they all cheered.

* * *

 **NO POV**

Mira and her other siblings were still hiding behind the crate. They had seen everything and they were impressed.

"Whoa... I can't believe Willy helped catch all of those fish! With his bare hands!" said Elfman.

"Not only that, but did you see how he leaped out of the water like that? He looked just like a merman," said Lisanna.

"Yeah... no kidding."

"What do you think Mira?" asked Lisanna turning to her elder sister.

Mira didn't answer. Her eyes had never left Willy ever since he took off his shirt. She was completely bewildered.

"Mira? Mira? Are you there? Hello? Mira?" said Lisanna as she waved her hand in front of Mira's face.

"She's not even blinking," said Elfman. "Is she OK?"

Lisanna looked closely at Mira and she smiled. "Don't worry. Mira's fine."

"How can you be so sure Lisanna? She's not sick or something is she?" asked Elfman.

"Oh she's sick alright, but not the one you're thinking of Elfman," said Lisanna. "A sickness that's kinda hard to be cured."

"And what kind of sickness is that?"

"Isn't it obvious? It's love sickness! Mira was so impressed by Willy's skills just now that she's completely frozen in love!"

Elfman looked at Lisanna skeptical. "Come on Lisanna. You're still going on about that? How can you be so sure about that?"

Lisanna sighed and shook her head. "Oh Elfman. You have no idea how a maiden's heart feels do you?"

"Of course I don't. I'm a boy," replied Elfman.

"Oh well. You'll understand one day. Hopefully you'll learn about love sooner or later. Ooh! Wait till I tell Sieri about this."

"Oh brother. Finn was right. You have been hanging around Sieri too much."

* * *

 **NO POV**

A littler after that, the days work was done and Marco was giving me the reward money for completing the job request. He also gave me a fish to take home for dinner.

"There you go Willy. Twenty thousand jewel," he said. "And a fish to go with it. Think of it as a bonus."

"Thank you very much Marco," I said.

Marco smiled. "No need for thanks. You earned it. You certainly have surprised me and the boys and helped us out a lot too. It would be great if we could get your help again sometime."

"Sure. Anytime."

Then Finn came to pick me up.

"Hey Finn. Welcome back," said Marco.

"Hey there Marco. Hey Willy," greeted Finn. "So how did it go Willy?"

"It went great!" I said. "Look. I even got myself a fish! Can we eat it for dinner tonight?"

"Hahaha. Of course we can," said Finn. "Guess we're gonna be having a hearty meal tonight."

"Yup. I gotta say, Willy here is a pretty incredible kid," said Marco. "He just helped me and the boys catch a whole bunch of fish today."

"Did he now?"

"Yeah. Thanks to him, we got enough fish to last at least a week for my stand," continued Marco. "I would love it if he could stop by again to help sometime if you'll let him."

"Sure," said Finn. "I'm sure that Willy would love it if he could take this job again. Right Willy?"

"Yeah!" I said grinning. "I would love to!"

"Well in that case, I'll let you know if I'll be needing your fishing skills again sometime Willy," chuckled Marco. "Until then, you better get home and eat that fish while it's still fresh. The fresher the better I always say."

"Well then, I guess we'll see you later Marco," said Finn. "Come on Willy. Let's go fry up that fish for dinner shall we?"

"Yeah!"

Me and Finn started to walk heading towards home, but once again I heard a noise. It was coming from my right behind a crate. This was pretty much the third time I heard it.

"Hey! Who's there? Come out!" I said immediately jumping behind the crate.

Then my eyes widened in surprise. There hiding behind the crate was the Strauss siblings. Finn also came and was just as was just as surprised to see them as I was. Mira who finally snapped out of her daze immediately fell on her butt in surprise.

"Oh! Willy... Finn... hahaha... fancy seeing you both here," she said averting her eyes.

"What the... Lisanna? Elfman? Mira? What are you kids doing here?" Finn asked.

"Well if you wanna know, we were pretty much..." Lisanna began to say, but then Mira cut her off by covering her mouth.

"We were just in town!" said Mira. "Just walking through town spending time together just how siblings are. Right Elfman?"

Elfman was gonna try to tell Finn and I what was going on, but a quick smile flare from Mira immediately told him to keep quiet.

"Yes! We were just hanging around! Walking though town!" said Elfman nervously.

"Hmmm..."

Finn and I stared at them a little suspicious, but we decided to let it slip. Then there was a sudden growling noise.

"What was that?" I asked.

"I think I know," said Finn. "It appears that someone's hungry."

He pointed to Mira who was holding her stomach in embarrassment. Then I had an idea.

"Hey Finn? Since the Strauss siblings are here, can they stay over for dinner tonight?" I asked. "We can all share this fish together."

"I think that's a great idea," smiled Finn. "So what do you say Strauss kids? You wanna stay over?"

"Sure! We'd love to!" said Elfman and Lisanna.

"Um... yeah. Sure," said Mira.

"All right then!" I said excited. "Let's go eat this fish together!"

"Then let's get home then," said Finn. "I'll take that fish and fry it up something special for you Willy. In order for completing your first job."

"Yeah!"

And so we set off towards home.

* * *

 **NO POV**

A little later, Willy, Finn, and the Strauss siblings had themselves a heartily dinner. After that everyone started to get ready for bed. Willy was helping Finn do the dishes, Lisanna and Elfman were getting ready for bed, and Mira was in the bath washing up. As soon as she was done, she got out and got dressed. When she was done, Lisanna came into the room.

"Hey Miiiiraa," she said in a singy songy tone.

"What is it Lisanna?" replied Mira not amused.

"So... Willy was able to complete his first job and we got another opportunity to sleep over," said Lisanna. "You must be happy. After all you..."

"Don't you start that again!" said Mira. "I already told you I don't love him. I was just worried about how his first would go. That's it."

"Oh no? Then why were all frozen before? You were practically like a statue," smirked Lisanna. "Then again I can't blame you. Willy did look pretty awesome today didn't he?"

"I wouldn't know... I... wasn't paying attention," said Mira hesitantly.

"Yeah right you weren't paying attention. You couldn't stop staring at him. You looked just like a woman gazing passionately at her one true love for the first time," said Lisanna hugging herself while twirling around.

"I wasn't gazing at him and I'm not in love with him!" snapped Mira. "Geez! I wish you'd stop saying that Lisanna! If you keep that up, I'm gonna reap you a new one! You hear me?!"

"Oh come on Mira. There's no need to deny your feelings. After all..."

"If you say those you three words again Lisanna, I am gonna..." growled Mira.

Lisanna giggled and she ran out of the room. Mira took a deep breath and calmed herself down.

"Man. I gotta stop letting her get to me like that," she said to herself.

Then she suddenly remembered Willy back at the pier. Once she did, she couldn't help but remember how awesome he looked. She had to admit, he looked pretty cool. Not to mention he's been cool other times especially Then she shook her head shaking Willy out of her mind.

"What the heck am I thinking?!" she said to herself. "I gotta stop thinking about him like that."

"Thinking like what?" asked a voice.

Mira yelped in surprise and turned around finding Willy standing behind her.

"Willy! What are you doing here?!" asked Mira. "And how much did you hear?!"

"Um... I just came to tell you that your brother and sister are ready for bed and also I came in right at the part where you said 'you had to stop thinking of something.' What were you talking about anyway?"

"Um... nothing! I wasn't talking about anything!" said Mira ounding flustered. "I was just um... just uh... just saying how I should...uh... stop thinking of fish! Yeah! I should stop thinking of fish because... I'm eating that a lot!"

Willy looked at Mira puzzled. "OK... whatever you say Mira. Anyway, let's get ready for bed. Lisanna and Elfman are already tucked in."

"Um... yeah. Sure," said Mira.

Later that night, everyone was fast asleep. Everyone that is, accept for Mira. She stayed wide awake. She tried to get back to sleep, but she couldn't. Her thoughts were all jumbled and elsewhere.

"Geez! Why can't I get to sleep..." she thought.

She closed her eyes and tried to get to sleep again, but failed. She turned to her side and she pretty much saw the reason why. Lying right next to her was Willy fast asleep. As soon as she saw him, she immediately thought back to when he saved her from the vulcan and back at the pier. She shook her head and turned back to her side so she wouldn't look at him.

"Why the heck am I thinking about Willy? I mean come on! It's not like I have a crush on him do I?"

Oh come on Mira. There's no need to deny your feelings.

Lisanna's words came into Mira's mind. She then peeked from her shoulder and looked at Willy's sleeping form. Then she turned to face him and looked at his sleeping face.

"Now that I think about it, Willy's done so much for me," she thought. "I mean he saved my life and my brothers and even made friends with Lisanna and Elfman. He is also kinda cool... I guess in a way... I kinda do like him, but... not in the romantic way. If I did, Lisanna would never let me hear the end of it."

She smiled a little and pulled the covers over her.

"But... I guess she's right a little. Maybe Willy's starting to grow on me. Heh. We'll wait and see if it's love or not."

She snuggled up a little closer to Willy and then eventually she fell fast asleep.

* * *

 _OK. I don't know if this is a good one, but yeah. I enjoyed writing this chapter! XD XD XD_

 _Anyhoo, I hope you liked the chapter! And feel free to leave me a review or a PM._

 _Dragoman out!_


	21. Chapter 21 Smoke and Water

_All right! Now here's chapter 21! Happy reading!_

* * *

Chapter 21

Smoke and Water

WILLY'S POV

Another couple of days had came and gone. I was still taking some jobs from the request board to make some jewel. They were simple jobs, but the pay was pretty good and the jobs were usually manual labor. It was pretty much like training only I was getting paid for it. For all the jewel I earned, I kept it in a box so I could give it to the siblings for later under my bed. The reward money varied and some of the jobs were a little hard, but as long as I was able to help out the Strauss siblings it didn't really matter.

But to be perfectly honest going on jobs and earning jewel was great and all, but I was ready to start on the next part of my training. Unfortunately, I still had no idea when the next part of my training. We still haven't heard anything for Tu Chi. She must be taking a lot of time to prepare for my next part of training. So until then, I just had to be patient and wait till that day came. I kept myself occupied by going on jobs. Other times I would hang out with the Strauss family, but like a tiger eager to hunt I was ready to start training any day.

One day I was walking through town about to go on another job. I eventually started walking by myself. That way Finn wouldn't have a reason to worry about me and it gave me a sense of independence. I was looking through the job request trying to find another job request to go on, but nothing really seemed interesting. There wasn't even a request from Marco.

"Man... none of these jobs look very good," I mumbled to myself. "I wish Marco posted another fishing job. I'm starting to get bored around here. Maybe I should just go see Mira and the others today."

"Hey there Willy. How's it going?" said a voice.

I looked to the source of the voice and there was Sieri coming towards me.

"Oh hi Sieri," I greeted.

"Looking for a job again?" she asked.

"Yeah. For some reason there doesn't seem to be anything I would like to take," I said.

"That's understandable," said Sieri. "Say Willy, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure. What's up?"

Sieri looked around and spoke low in my ear.

"How are things getting along between you and Mira?"

I felt puzzled. "Well... things are going great. Although there are times that Mira acts a little weird, but that's OK. She and I are good friends."

"And... how do you feel about her?" continued Sieri.

"How do I feel about her?" I repeated. "I... don't understand what you mean."

"I mean do you like her? You know as a girl," said Sieri.

"Of course I do," I said. "I like her."

The moment I said those three words, Sieri blushed a deep shade of crimson.

"What?! You... like her?!"

I couple of the townspeople looked at Sieri hearing the sound of her voice, but Sieri paid no attention. She was more focused on what I just said to her.

"Are you serious Willy? You like Mira?!"

"Yup I sure do," I said. "And I also like my Mama and Papa, Aquadia, Finn, Elfman and Lisanna, and you of course Sieri..."

As I continued to tell her of all the things I liked, Sieri's shocked expression quickly changed into a neutral one that looked slightly annoyed.

"Willy hold on a minute," she said. "Do you understand what I mean by like?"

"Um... you mean like a friend or family? That kind of like?" I asked.

Sieri stared at me. Then she squealed and gave me a hug which kinda surprised me a little.

"S-s-sieri!?"

"Oh my gosh! You're so cute! You have no idea do you? You've never actually liked a girl before have you?"

"What do you mean by like Sieri?" I asked. "You're kinda confusing me."

"Let me put it this way," said Sieri. "You said you read a lot of fairy tales when you were a kid right?"

"Yes."

"You know how in the the stories, the hero rescues and always gets the girl?"

"Yeah..."

"That's what I meant by like. You know... the prince and princess get together kind of like. Except there's another word for that. It's called love."

"Is...that so?" I asked still feeling kind of puzzled.

Sieri sighed. "It seems you still have no idea the difference between like and love yet. Don't worry about it. You're still young. You'll learn about what love is eventually. Just make sure you do one thing."

"What's that?" I asked.

"Take care of the Strauss siblings, especially Mira no matter what," she said with a wink. "You got it?"

"OK... whatever you say Sieri... although I still don't know what you mean," I said.

Then suddenly something zipped right by me and Sieri hit the job request board with a twang.

"Whoa!"

"What the heck was that!?"

Me and Sieri looked what zipped past us and there on the board was an arrow with a note tied around it. Sieri went over to the board and pulled the arrow out. Then she untied the note around the arrow, opened it, and read it.

"What does it say Sieri?" I asked.

"I think you'd better read it Willy," said Sieri handing me the letter. "Something's telling me that this note's for you."

I took the note and opened it. The note said: "Come to the lake and get ready for your next part of training."

"All right! Finally!" I said. "I gotta go Sieri! I gotta go tell Finn about this! I'll see you later!"

"Willy! Wait a minute...!"

But I didn't stop. I was already running eager to head for the dojo. First I stopped by the clinic to let Finn know what I was doing, then I raced over to the dojo ready for the next challenge.

* * *

Later I arrived at the lake dressed in my gi and I found Tu Chi and Jade waiting for me.

"There you are Willy," said Tu Chi.

"Hi master. Hi Jade," I said. "I came as soon as I got the message and I'm ready to start on the next part of my training."

"Is that so? Well then I admire your spirit," said Tu Chi. "but I should warn you this training will be more difficult than before and you may have some trouble this time. You sure you can handle it?"

"Yup!" I said. "I'm ready for whatever training you got, so bring it on master!"

Tu Chi smiled from my confidence. "Very well then. Let's get started. Come with me."

Tu Chi with Jade on her shoulder walked alongside the lake and I followed. We walked along the right side of the lake and then eventually we came to another stream. We walked along the stream and eventually the stream led to a beautiful waterfall with a large flat rock at the bottom in the middle of a small pool.

"Whoa... It's beautiful," I said.

"It is isn't it? Better enjoy this while you can because here is where you will be training," said Tu Chi.

"Really? Right here?"

"Yes. First let explain what this training is for," said Tu Chi. "Do you remember when I had you use that spell a while back when we first met?"

"You mean that spell that let me find Mira and allowed me to see all those weird shapes before?" I asked.

"Yes. That was one of my basic spells. A water spell called Aqua Sense. It allows you to sense water within a targets body and if you use it on a wizard, you can not only use it to sense water, but you can also sense a wizard's ethernano and their pulse. Also when you touch a body of water, the spell becomes even stronger expanding to as far as the water goes."

"Really?"

"Yes. The goal of your training today for you to sense magic power. So far you were only able to use it twice. The first time I was able to help you and the second time you were able to do it on your own. Now we're gonna focus on taming that ability. See that rock in front of the waterfall? Stand on that if you will." said Tu Chi.

"OK."

By jumping on a couple of rocks on the water like stepping stones, I eventually made it to the big flat rock and stood in front of the waterfall.

"Now what?"

"Here's what you need to do. There's gonna be some small balls filled with water coming at you from the waterfall. All you need to do is smash them. You're allowed to use your magic, but you can't dive into the water either."

"Doesn't seem so bad," I said punching my fists together. "This'll be easy."

Tu Chi smiled. "I like your confidence. Let's begin shall we?"

She tapped her staff and then a small ball came falling at me from above. Immediately I punched right through it splitting it in half. Then another one came and I destroyed that one too.

"This is easier than I figured it would be," I thought.

Then a third ball came a-coming. I jumped up and with a shout and I hit the ball. This time something different happened. When I hit the ball, it didn't split and I didn't see it at the same, but a magic circle appeared on it. Before I knew what happened, the ball exploded right in my face. Smoke billowed everywhere. When the smoke cleared, I was covered in soot.

"What... (cough, cough) the heck was that?!" I spluttered rubbing the soot off my eyes.

"Oh. I forgot to mention one more thing," said Tu Chi. "Do try to be careful which ball you hit because some of them have been rigged with explosion magic. When you hit them well... that happens."

"(cough) Couldn't you have told me that before I hit it?"

"Sorry. Must have slipped my mind," said Tu Chi cheekily. "Anyway in order to improve your Aqua Sense, I'm training you to sense magic power as well as the water without having to use the water to sense it. Your goal is to see if you can hit about ten balls without setting off the ones rigged with the explosion magic. If you can complete this part of the training then I will teach you all of my spells as well as my techniques."

"Seriously?!"

I looked at the waterfall and the balls I destroyed. Then I straightened up and took a fighting stance.

"I'll do it! I'll pass this training and I'll have you teach me your skills! Just watch me!" I said.

This much I knew. This part of the training was gonna be a little hard, but I was not gonna back down without even trying. I was gonna pass this training or give up trying.

"All right then! Then let's begin! Hajime!"

Tu Chi tapped her staff again and the balls came falling on me one after another, but I stood ready and my training continued.

* * *

NO POV

Tu Chi watched as Willy resumed his training.

"This training will be harder than before," she thought. "Even Finn and some bit of trouble. This will determine if you are really destined to become my successor Willy. The only thing I can say is good luck."

Just then Finn arrived walking up right to Tu Chi.

"How nice of you to join us Finn. How was the clinic today?"

"You know how it is Master," said Finn smiling. "Same old, same old." He looked at Willy hard at work training by the waterfall. "I see Willy's moved onto the next step. I remember going through that. Man, I hated it. Sure took me a while to pass it."

Tu Chi chuckled. "If I recall, it took you about three weeks to complete it."

"Hey it was wasn't that long. It was about nineteen days at most," said Finn. "Anyway, looks like Willy's having a bit of trouble."

As they talked, Willy punched a ball and then punched another one which exploded making him covered in soot once again.

"Yes. Looks that way huh?"

"You think he'll be able to pass this part of the training?" asked Finn.

"I'm sure he will," said Tu Chi getting out a kettle filled with tea. "Until then, why don't we have some tea Finn? I can tell that this is gonna take a while."

"Sure. I'd love some," said Finn.

* * *

Later that evening, I still was trying to pass the training. I tried to hit a ball, but I would either miss or hit a ball rigged with an explosion spell. I was basically just relying on my senses, but sadly I kept hitting the wrong ball one after another.

"Ya-me!"

I heard Tu Chi call me which meant I had to stop. I looked over to Tu Chi who was watching me train the whole time and she wasn't the only one either. Finn was too.

"Finn? How have long have you been there?" I asked.

"For quite a while," said Finn. "Anyway come on over here. It's time to head home for the day."

"OK," I said as I jumped off of the rock and then joined Finn and Tu Chi.

"So Willy, this training seemed a bit harder than you thought right?" asked Tu Chi.

"Yes. It was," I said. "But don't worry. I'm not gonna give up. I'll figure out this part of training tomorrow! Just you wait and see!"

Tu Chi smiled. "That's good. Keep that spirit. You're gonna need it. Until then, I'll see you tomorrow. You're are dismissed."

Me and Finn bowed courteously and then left. After that we both headed home as the sun finally set over the horizon signaling the end of another day.

* * *

For the next few days or so give or take five days, I was still training. So far I haven't had much luck trying to pass this part of the training. As far as streaks go for hitting the balls, the highest I've ever gone was two. Three if I was lucky enough. After that, I would hit a ball with an explosion spell on it and end up being on the receiving end of smoke. Granted I was getting tired of getting blasted with smoke, but I kept going trying my best to complete the training. But it was getting a little frustrating.

One evening I was training hard as usual covered in soot and water. I was practically a mess. Three balls were coming at me from above. I hit one using my Iron Fist Spell.

"One!"

The ball split and water came splashing down. I dodged another ball and I hit the one that came after.

"Two!"

As soon as I hit the ball it didn't split and a magic circle appeared on it.

"Oh no-!"

The ball exploded covering me in soot once again which meant that I had to start all over again. I straightened up and got ready for the next ball that came. I hit the first one that came close to me.

"One!"

But the ball didn't split. It was another exploding one and I ending up getting blasted and covered in soot again. The force of the blast caused me to fall flat on my butt.

"Darn it! Not again!" I complained as I got back up. "All right! One more time!"

"Ya-me!" said Tu Chi signaling the end of the training for today.

"Aww master. Can't I train just a little longer?" I asked.

"Come on Willy," said Finn. "It's time to head home. Besides, you must be hungry after all that training."

"No not really. I'm not that..." I began to say, but then a loud grumbling came from my stomach causing me to blush a little. Tu Chi and Finn couldn't help but chuckle.

"Sounds like your tummy's saying it needs you to take a break," said Finn. "That's enough for today. Come on, I'll treat you for some orange chicken and rice over at Sid's place and then we'll head home and give you a bath. Sound good?"

"OK," I said.

"Oh by the way Willy," said Tu Chi. "Why don't you take a couple days off tomorrow? You've been working hard for the past few days and you could use some rest."

"I suppose," I said. "But to be perfectly honest I would much rather be training."

"That's understandable, but your forgetting one of the most important things about training," said Tu Chi. "Resting. It's important to take a break after working hard in training. Resting can even help you find the answers to problems you never thought possible."

"She's right you know," added Finn. "Even I took days off back when I was training. Besides you've been training hard. Not to mention you've been going on a couple jobs here and there. You could use a day off. Don't want to overwork yourself."

I knew that they were right. I have been at it for about five days and I was feeling a little worn out. Maybe a couple days of rest was all I needed.

"All right then," I said. "I'll take a break then. When can I come back to train?"

"Anytime you want," said Tu Chi. "Feel free to come back anytime you want. Until then, get plenty of rest and take some time off. Understood?"

"Yes Master," I said bowing courteously.

"Good. Dismissed."

* * *

Later me and Finn went to Sid's stand we ate some orange chicken and rice. After that we walked back home. As we walked back, we heard a voice call out to us.

We both turned and we saw the Strauss siblings coming towards us.

"Hey there kids," said Finn. "How are you all this evening?"

"We're great. Mira was just picking us up and we were on our way home," said Elfman. "How about you two?"

"We were just on our way home ourselves," said Finn. "We just came back from eating at Sid's."

As they talked, I tuned out their conversation still deep in thought about trying to figure out the training. I thought up various ways to try to figure it out, but so far I had nothing.

"Darn it all. How am supposed to figure this out?" I thought. "I wish that Tu Chi would have given me a hint or something."

Then I felt a small tug on my sleeve. I looked to find Mira was looking at me curiously.

"Hey Willy. Are you OK? You look deep in thought about something," she said.

"Oh. Sorry Mira. I was just thinking. Don't mind me," I said.

Mira stared at me as if she was looking on my face. Then she dug into her pocket and got off a cloth and started wiping my face with it.

"Hey. Mira what are you-"

"Hold still," she said. "You got something on your cheek."

I did as I was told as Mira wiped something off my cheek using the cloth. As she was doing this, I couldn't help but notice how close she was. Not to mention I was able to get a good look at her face. Her skin was a little lighter than I thought and her eyes were a bright shade of blue. Even in the darkness I could see them clearly. Then I felt a small leap in my heart. I didn't know what it was, but it was probably nothing.

"Sorry, but you had something on your cheek," said Mira as she finished. "It looked like some kind of soot."

"Thanks for getting that," I said. "I appreciate it."

"Awww! How cute!" said Lisanna how had clearly seen what had happened. "Trying to score some points with Willy eh Mira? Way to go!"

"What?! Lisanna! I told you to knock it off!" said Mira. "Besides Willy had something on his cheek and I was just getting it off for him! I'd do the same for you and Elfman!"

Lisanna giggled then she gasped. "Oh wait a minute! I almost forgot! Mira? Didn't you have something to ask Willy?"

"I... I don't know what you're talking about," said Mira looking away shyly.

"Come on. Go on and just ask him," said Lisanna nudging her sister. "It can't hurt to ask."

"Ask me what?" I wondered.

Mira looked downwards playing with her fingers looking nervous.

"Um... Willy? Are... you doing anything tomorrow? You know... are you gonna be busy or something?" she asked.

"No. I'm free tomorrow," I said. "Why do you ask?"

"Cuz I was wondering... if... you wanted to hang with us tomorrow? At the lake in the clinic? It's been a while since you've hung out with my brother and sister and I was hoping... that I could hang out with you too. If... that's OK with you of course."

I looked up at Finn and he answered with a smile and a nod. Then I turned to Mira and smiled.

"Sure. I'd like that very much," I replied. "I'll see you all tomorrow OK?"

Mira face brightened. "That's great. We'll see you tomorrow then. Oh wait... is this OK with you Finn?"

"It's fine with me," said Finn. "I got work tomorrow anyway. Why not? We'll both be here first thing tomorrow."

Soon our house was in sight. After that, me and Finn said our goodbyes and we parted with the Strauss siblings as we headed home.

* * *

NO POV

As soon as Willy and Finn were out of sight, Mira and the others headed home. Lisanna patted Mira on the back.

"You see Mira? That wasn't so hard was it?"

"Lisanna. If I ever get the chance, I am gonna clobber you," said Mira glaring at Lisanna.

"Now, now sis. Calm down," said Elfman. "Besides, this is a great opportunity to hang with Willy since he's been busy for so many days. You've never even hung out with anyone before."

"I... i guess, but still..." said Mira. "I can't believe I let you talk me into this. I wouldn't have had to if a certain sister would have learned to keep her mouth shut!"

"Now, now. Calm down Sis," said Elfman. "Besides, Sieri was gonna find out eventually even with Lisanna telling her."

"Yeah, but still!" said Mira. "I don't need love advice or this. I need to go on jobs tomorrow to make some jewel."

"That is precisely why we're doing this," said Lisanna. "You need to take a break Mira. You've been working too hard lately. You need to take a break like yesterday."

"I have to agree as well Mira," said Elfman. "You've always have been on a lot of jobs lately. You could use some time off. Hey, you can even get to know Willy a little more."

"Elfman...!"

Mira tried to object, but Lisanna quickly cut in.

"No objections Mira. You need to take a day off once in a while. When was the last time you ever had a chance to actually rest and take a break from taking jobs?"

"Well... I..."

"Exactly. So tomorrow, you're gonna hang out with us and you're gonna like it," said Lisanna. "No ifs ands or buts! Now come on, let's get ready for tomorrow! We're gonna play hard and rest hard! Are you with me Elfman?"

"Yeah!" cheered Elfman.

"Hey! Come on you two! Listen to me!" said Mira.

But her words fell on deaf ears as Lisanna and Elfman walked ahead of her as the three of them headed home.

* * *

Nothing much for this chapter. I'm still working on some things down the line, but I promise you things are gonna get interesting later on!

Until then, feel free to follow me, my stories, or leave a fav or a review.

Dragoman out!


	22. Chapter 22 Learning to Relax

_Hello everyone! Here's my next update for the story and I'm happy to see some followers liking my story. That means a lot. Keep it coming!  
_

 _Happy reading._

* * *

Chapter 22

Learning to Relax

Tomorrow morning quickly came. I woke up and went to the bathroom to brush my teeth and get ready for another day. As I went about my daily routine in the morning, I thought about what I was going to do today. Today I was going to the lake to go hang with the Strauss siblings. To be honest, I was having some mixed emotions about this. Part of me wanted more than anything to go play with the siblings. I mean it had been days since I last played with them with the exception of Mira. However, another part of me thought that I should be spending my day training some more. After all I had to figure out the training Tu Chi assigned to me so I could learn hers and maybe Finn's spells.

"I know Tu Chi told me to take a couple days off, but I should be focusing on training," I thought to myself. "I still need to figure out how to get past the training."

I finished brushing my teeth and then I was immersed in warm water as I took my bath. As I soaked into the water, I thought back to how I kept getting blasted by the different balls as they fell from the falls. I could well remember how much smoke I got on me and how irritating it was.

"I still can't figure it out," I muttered as I sat in the tub. "How am I supposed to hit 10 balls in a row without hitting the ones that have that spell in it? Every time I try to destroy one and then try to move onto another one, I always end up either getting lucky or hitting another ball that has that explosion spell on it. It doesn't hurt very much, but still it's so annoying being covered in soot. I wish Tu Chi or Finn would have given me a hint.

I sank into the water and let out a breath making bubbles.

"Maybe they did," I thought. "Maybe they already gave me a hint and I didn't pick up on it."

I thought back to yesterday thinking back to what Tu Chi and Finn said.

 ** _"...your forgetting one of the most important things about training, resting. It's important to take a break after working hard in training. Resting can even help you find the answers to problems you never thought possible."_**

"That's what she said, but what does that even mean?" I thought.

Then I heard Finn calling me. "Hey Willy! You almost done in there? You've been in there for a while."

"Yeah! I'm almost done!" I called. "I'll be out in just a second!"

I stood up and got out of the tub and dried myself off. I put on my necklace and got dressed. I wore a white t-shirt with blue shorts wearing a pair of sandals. As soon as I was ready and dressed, I followed Finn out the door and we both headed for the clinic.

* * *

Soon we came to the clinic and we were at the lake. Finn dropped me off and went about his work and then I went to go find the Strauss siblings. I walked around for a little while until eventually I saw them walking with Sieri.

"Hey guys! I'm here!" I called out as I ran towards them waving.

"Hey! Willy's here!" cheered Lisanna.

"Sorry if I'm late. Were you guys waiting long?"

"No. We just got here a few minutes ago," said Elfman.

I looked at Mira who was standing there looking silent and nervous.

"Hey Mira? Is something the matter?" I asked. "You look nervous."

"Um... uh... nothing. I'm fine," she said. "Just fine."

I looked at Mira a little confused. Then Sieri cut in.

"Now that Willy's here, what do you all say you kids go and have some fun?" asked Sieri.

"Yeah!" said Elfman. "Let's all go swimming!"

"Sounds like a plan!" I said. "Let's do it!"

Feeling excited and raring to swim, I took off my shirt and starting taking off my clothes. Starting off with my shirt, I started taking off my pants when Sieri once again stopped me.

"Willy! Don't strip right here again!" she cried.

"Oops. Sorry, I forgot," I said blushing. "I guess since I haven't done this in a while, I got too excited."

"Oh my Willy. You certainly are bold," said Lisanna her cheeks flushed a bright pink.

"Bold isn't a word I'd exactly go for," said Elfman.

"Now go on Willy. You and the kids go get dressed into your swimsuits and no stripping in public Willy!" said Sieri as she led us to the dressing rooms. Elfman and I headed to the boys side and Lisanna and Mira headed for the right.

* * *

NO POV

"Well that was a close one eh Mira?" chuckled Lisanna as she got her swimsuit on. "We almost got to see Willy in his birthday suit."

"Wh-why would I care about that!?" said Mira. "Honestly Lisanna, you really have been hanging around with Sieri too much!"

Lisanna giggled. "It's so cute when you react like that." Then her face softened as little and she smiled. "You know... it's been a while since we've done this," she said softly. "I never would have thought that you'd do this Mira."

"Well... of course I would," said Mira. "I know I've been busy with jobs, but I'd never pass up an opportunity to hang with you guys. You two are my brother and sister after all."

"And you have Willy as a friend," added Lisanna. "Your first friend at that."

"Wha... what are you talking about Lisanna?! I've had friends Lisanna!" said Mira. "I...just didn't have time for them due to doing jobs that's all!"

"Suuuure you did," said Lisanna in a mocking tone.

Mira glared. "Lisanna I'm getting really irritated with you with your teasing! If you don't knock it off, I'm gonna...!"

Then suddenly, they heard a voice call out outside of the dressing rooms which turned out to be Sieri.

"Hey Mira! Lisanna! You kids almost done in there?"

"Yes! We'll be right out!" called Mira as she hurriedly got looked through for a swimsuit while Lisanna chuckled under her breath.

* * *

WILLY'S POV

Me and Elfman had finished getting dressed and were waiting outside with Sieri waiting for the girls to finish getting dressed. I was feeling a little impatient for waiting.

"What's taking the girls so long?" I wondered.

"Yeah. They're sure taking their time aren't they?" said Elfman. "I hope nothing's wrong."

"Now, now boys," said Sieri. "All things come to those who wait as they say. Wait a little bit longer OK?"

Then finally Lisanna and Mira came out in their swimsuits. Lisanna was wearing a pink one piece swimsuit with a small white bow. Mira on the other hand was wearing a one piece swimsuit as well, but hers was blue and had her hair tied in ponytail. Lisanna looked happy and raring to go, but Mira now looked embarrassed for some reason.

"Something the matter sis?" asked Elfman. "You look embarrassed for some reason."

"Oh don't pay attention to her," said Lisanna. "So Willy, what do you think? Doesn't Mira look cute in this swimsuit?

"Lisanna!" whispered Mira.

I looked at Mira up and down looking at her swimsuit and I smiled.

"I think it looks great," I said. "It really suits you."

"Um...uh...th-thank you..." said Mira her cheeks red. "You...really think so?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Blue is really your color."

"Well then now that you're all dressed up, you kids go ahead and have fun," said Sieri. "I'll be watching over you guys so if you need anything feel free to call on me."

"We will."

And with that Sieri left. As soon as she was gone, we all went to the lake to swim. I took a running start and dove into the water with Elfman and Lisanna following suit. Mira watched from afar dipping her feet into the water watching us play. We decided to have some fun in a splash fight.

"Take this!" said Elfman as he splashed me and Lisanna.

"Oh yeah? Take that!" I laughed as I splashed him back.

"Come on Mira! Join in on the fun!" called Lisanna. "Don't be such a stick in the mud!"

"No thanks!" called Mira. "I'm just gonna stay here and watch."

"Awww come on Mira!" I said. "It's no fun if you're just sitting there! Besides, I could use some help here!"

"Haha! You're wide open!" said Elfman and he swung his arm around in the water and made a big wave. I dodged the wave, but because of me dodging it the wave ended up hitting Mira instead. Water splashed all over her. Mira sat there slightly shaking. All of us stared at Mira in fear that she would be mad.

"Oh my gosh! Sis! I'm so sorry!" said Elfman.

"You should be..." said Mira in a low voice. "Because now..." She looked up and she had a playful smile on her face. "I'm gonna get you for that Elfman!"

She leapt into the water and then joined the fray. From there the splash fight became a lot more fun. Thanks to Mira evening the odds, the splash war turned to our favor. After that, we had more fun playing in the water.

* * *

NO POV

As she went about doing her daily duties, Sieri took a peak at the kids every know and again to check on them. She could see them playing about in the water either splashing each other or swimming together and that made her smile.

"Looks like they're having fun huh?"

Sieri turned to the voice and she found Finn next to her.

"Yes," she said. "They seem so happy. Especially Mira."

"Yes. It's been a while since I've seen that kind of smile on her," mused Finn. "I must say it's refreshing seeing her so happy."

"Yes. It is," said Sieri smiling. "Now that I think about it... when was the last time you saw Mira and her siblings this happy?"

"I don't know. I do know that it was around the time before... you know..."

"Yeah. I can still remember that day."

Sieri certainly knew what Finn was talking about. She thought back to a couple of years ago back when Mira was a little younger. She was living happily with her mother and father living a peaceful life. Fast forward, she remembered hearing the news about her mom and dad and how saddened the siblings are.

Her smile then changed into a frown. "I wish I could have helped them," she said. "I wish I would have been there for her..."

"Now Sieri, let me stop you right there," interrupted Finn. "I can understand your feelings, but what happened, happened. No matter how much we want wish to change what had happened, we can't."

"I know," said Sieri. "But... still..."

Finn placed a hand on Sieri's shoulder and looked at her reassuringly.

"There's a saying that Master told me back when a kid," continued Finn. "We can't change the past, but we can improve the future. And from where I'm standing thanks to Willy, the Strauss siblings' future is looking pretty bright. Don't you think?"

Sieri looked at Finn. Then her smile returned and she chuckled. "You always know just what to say don't you Finn? It's things like that that make a girl like me admire you. You've grown to be quite the mature man haven't you?"

"What are you talking about Sieri? I've always been mature. It... just took me a while to mature that's all."

"Whatever you say Finn."

* * *

WILLY'S POV

I'm not sure how long we played in the water, but I'm pretty sure it was quite a while. Personally I didn't care. I was having way too much fun. I can't even remember the last time I had such fun. Swimming was cool on your own, but when you had people and friends around it was much more fun.

We continued with the splash fights Mira and I going against Elfman and Lisanna. Then we swimming races with Lisanna on the sidelines cheering us on. After that, we swam beneath the water and checked out all the life that was underwater. The lake wasn't splendid like the ocean, but it had a lot of creatures and other things swimming here and there at the bottom.

After we did all of that it soon became evening. Me and Mira took a little break while Elfman and Lisanna played in the water some more.

"I wonder where they get all that energy," chuckled Mira as she sat next to me.

"Who knows?" I replied smiling. "They're your siblings after all."

Mira chuckled then she turned to me smiling. "You know... I had a lot of fun today," she said. "I really did."

"Yeah. Me too," I said.

"Would you believe me if I told you that this was the first time in a while that I've done something fun?"

"No. Really?"

"Yup. I've been so busy taking jobs and making jewel that I hardly had anytime to play with Lisanna and Elfman. I always felt bad and I constantly worried about them because they didn't make much friends."

"What about Sieri?" I asked. "She seems like a good friend to you guys. Not to mention Finn too."

"I mean friends that are pretty close to their age silly," said Mira. "Which is why I'm glad they met you as did I. I don't know if I told you enough times Willy, but... thank you. Thank you so much for being there for my brother and sister and for...you know saving me. I really appreciate it."

Mira looked at and gave me a toothless smile. I blushed a little bit smiling back at her.

"It's no big deal," I said. "I'm glad to help out. Besides, I'm sure you or anyone else would have done the same thing if I was in trouble."

"So... Willy what have you been up to for the past few days?" Mira asked. "Lisanna and Elfman were wondering where you were."

"Oh yeah. Sorry about that. That's because I've been busy training," I replied.

"Training?"

Then I explained to Mira how I have been training for the past few days and what type of training I did.

"So that's it," said Mira as I finished explaining. "This Tu Chi person has been training you. That explains the soot I saw on your cheek the other day."

"Yeah... sorry about that," I said. "Anyway that's why I haven't been seeing Elfman and Lisanna lately. Although on the plus side, Tu Chi's letting me have a couple days off so at least there's that. However... the training is still bugging me for some reason."

"What do you mean?" asked Mira.

"Well you see, I have to hit ten balls in a row without hitting one rigged with explosion magic. If I do I have to start over," I said. "Like I said Tu Chi told me to take the day off because she said that rest can help me solve my training. The problem is how. I know rest is important, but still..."

"Hmmm..." hummed Mira thoughtfully. "Well... it seems to me that Tu Chi's got the right idea if you want my opinion. In a way I think I can relate."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I know I take jobs all the time, but I try to relax whenever I can," said Mira. "When I have a problem I take my time and eventually I figure it out and that's what you should do too. As my mom always says, Fiore wasn't built in a day."

"What was your Mama like?" I asked.

"She was an incredible person," said Mira. "Along with my father, she was one of the best mothers you could ever ask for. She taught me how to cook, she played with me, Lisanna, and Elfman, and she was always a hard worker. Yeah back when I was a girl my mom was the best in the world. You know...before she..."

Mira trailed off looking a little depressed upon remembering her mother. I felt kinda bad for bringing up her mother so I quickly apologized.

"I'm sorry about that," I said. "I didn't mean to bring up painful memories."

"It's OK," she said. "I don't mind. It still is painful to remember, but I'm proud to have a mom like her. Sure she's gone, but she's still with me in my heart. Hehe. It's a lame cliche isn't?"

"Not really," I said. "You know my Mama told me something like that. She told me that we not always be with our Mama's but they'll always be with us. In this way, we're never apart for we are a part of each other."

"Wow... That's pretty deep Willy," said Mira. "You know for a kid like you, you're pretty wise for your age."

"Hehe. You're a kid too Mira. I mean you're the same age as me right?"

"Hey. I'm thirteen! Technically that makes me a teenager not a kid."

"You're thirteen?" I looked at her a little surprised. "I guess that makes you my senior then. I'm twelve."

"Oh. So that makes you Elfman's age," said Mira. "And yes that also makes you my senior, so you better treat me with respect got it?"

"Yes of course Ms. Mira!" I said.

"Gah... I was just kidding," said Mira looking away. "Please just call me Mira OK?"

"Oh. OK Mira."

And so we turned back to watching Lisanna and Elfman playing in the water playing some kind of strange game. Elfman would go underwater and then Lisanna would try and guess what Elfman was saying while he was underwater. Then Lisanna would do the same thing and Elfman took his turn guessing. Neither of them could tell what they were saying, but they were having fun anyway.

"Hey Willy! Mira! Come on back and play with us some more!" called Lisanna.

"Yeah! It's getting getting kinda lonely!" called Elfman.

"Hold on you two!" called Mira back. "Me and Willy will be right there!"

"What kind of game are those two playing anyway?" I asked. "Some kind of holding your breath game?"

"I don't even know myself," said Mira. "It's some kind of game those two invented. All I know is that the object of the game is to guess what the person that's underwater is saying. Lisanna loves playing that game with Elfman. Although I don't even know what the point is considering how they can't even hear each other beneath the water."

"Oh really?" I asked.

I looked over at Elfman and Lisanna playing their game then I got curious. What if there was a way to hear them? That was when I had an idea. I closed my eyes and you used my ability to sense the current in the water. At first I could only sense the waves, but then I felt vibrations in the water. Curious as to what those were, I focused on those vibrations and then I could hear what Elfman was saying.

"The monkey jumped and broke his head!" I heard him say.

"Just now Elfman just said 'The monkey jumped and broke his head,' " I told Mira.

"Seriously? You gotta be bluffing,"said Mira skeptically.

"No. Really. I heard him," I said. "I used the current in the water to sense the vibrations when Elfman talked. My Mama did teach me how to sense currents after all."

"Prove it," said Mira.

"All right," I said. "Hey! Elfman!"

Elfman's head came out from underneath the water just as soon as I called him. "Yeah? What's up Willy?"

"What did you say in the water just now?" I asked him. "Be honest."

"I said The monkey jumped and broke his head," replied Elfman.

"Dang it!" thought Lisanna. "I thought for sure you said something else."

Mira looked at me in surprise while I smiled in a 'I told you so' grin.

"No way... you were right?" she murmured.

"What's wrong Mira?" asked Lisanna as she came out of the water up to us.

"You know that game you and Elfman were playing? Well Willy here told me what Elfman just said underwater," said Mira. "But I'm a little skeptical."

"Is that true Willy?" asked Elfman who now came up as well.

"Yes I did. Like I told Mira I was able to tell what you were saying by sensing the vibrations in the water," I said. "After all I was caught to sense currents thanks to Aquadia."

"Oh really? Let's put it to the test shall we?" replied Lisanna stepping back into the water. "Willy, I'm gonna say something underwater and you tell me what I said got it?"

"Got it."

And with that, Lisanna dove into the water and I closed my eyes and concentrated. I did what I had done before and focused on the vibrations I felt in the water. Then after babbling something in the water a few seconds Lisanna came back up.

"All right Willy. What did I just say underwater just now?"

"You said hey diddle diddle the cat and the fiddle and the fish jumped over the wall," I replied.

"That's... that's exactly right."

All three of the siblings stared at me then Elfman entered the water.

"Let me try," he said as he plunged into the water.

He once more babbled something into the water and I sensed the vibrations from under the water. Soon he came back up.

"OK. What did I say that time?" he asked.

"You mostly just babbled," I replied. "You weren't even using words. Just babbling."

"R-right again," said Elfman a little baffled.

"All right Willy," said Lisanna. "Try this one!"

She dove beneath the surface and said something underwater. This time I heard Lisanna say this:

 _"Mira has a big crush on Willy and she wants to be his girlfriend!"_

When she resurfaced I looked at her a little puzzled while she had a big and teasing grin on her face.

"All right Willy. What did I say this time?" she asked smiling.

"Something about Mira having a huge crush on me and wanting to be my girlfriend?" I replied.

"What?!"

Mira immediately blushed a beet shade of red and glared at Lisanna. While Elfman and I stood back a little bit.

"Lisanna! How many times do I have to tell you not to joke like that!?" she cried.

"hahaha! Sorry Mira. I couldn't resist," giggled Lisanna. Then she turned to me. "That's pretty incredible Willy!"

"Yeah. You're even more awesome than before," added Elfman.

"I don't know about that," I said blushing. "I... was just doing what I was taught."

"Well whatever you were taught, it's quite the talent," said Mira. "Your Mom taught you a pretty neat trick."

"Come on! Let's play it some more!" said Lisanna. "I wanna test Willy some more! Please Willy? Will you play?"

I smiled. "Sure. Why not? It sounds like a lot of fun."

And so we played the game for a little while. Pretty soon, I heard Finn call out to me.

"Willy! It's time to head home!"

I turned around and I saw Finn and Sieri with Finn waving to me. We all got out of the lake and walked up to Finn and Sieri.

"Sounds like you kids are having a lot of fun," said Finn as he came up to us along with Sieri. "But now it's time to head home Willy. It's getting late."

"Aww... but we wanna play just a little longer," complained Lisanna.

"Now come on Lisanna. You know that it's getting close to dinnertime," said Mira. "We can play with Willy tomorrow."

"Oh OK..." said Lisanna puffing her cheeks.

"Good girl," said Mira patting her head. "Now come on you two. Let's go get dressed."

"OK," they both replied as the three of them headed for the dressing rooms.

"What a good sister," said Sieri. "Someone would probably mistake her for being their mother."

"You got that right," said Finn. "You have fun today Willy?"

"I sure did," I replied. "We had a lot of fun. I even got to join in a game Lisanna and Elfman made up."

"Hehe. I can see that," said Finn. "It looked like you had fun playing that game."

"To be honest, I had fun and all but I would much rather try and figure out how to get past that training," I replied.

"I know but remember what Tu Chi told you," said Finn. "Besides... I think you already have an idea of how you should get past it. In fact, I believe that you were already pretty much training."

"I have?" I pondered. "How's that?"

"Sorry. I can't say," said Finn. "You have to figure it out for yourself. Until then, go get dressed. We gotta head home and eat dinner."

"Can we walk Mira and the others home?" I asked.

"Sure."

I smiled as went to the dressing room to change.

* * *

After that, I changed into my normal clothes and Me, Finn, and Sieri all walked home together. Lisanna and Elfman talked about how much fun they had today while me, Mira, and Finn walked next to them. As we walked, I pondered over what Finn said to me before.

"I wonder what he meant," I thought. "I was already training? But how was I?"

"Hey Willy? You're deep in thought again," said Mira. "What's up? Still thinking about your training?"

"Yeah. Sorry Mira," I said. "I was just thinking. Finn told me that I was already training, but I don't know what he meant."

"Well... we did do a lot of swimming so I guess that counts as exercise," said Mira. "But based on from your body, I don't think that's what Finn meant."

"I know," I said. "I wish I knew what he meant. Man... I'm starting to want to train again..."

"Easy Train o holic. Remember you got plenty of time to figure it out, so take your time," said Mira patting my shoulder.

"I know."

A little later as we walked along, Sieri left to her place and we soon dropped off the Strauss siblings. After that me and Finn walked back and were soon home. We ate dinner and we both started to get ready for bed. I was sitting in the tub letting the water relax my body. As I washed my body I let my mind wander. I mostly had the training on my mind. I tried to shake it out of my head, but it kept on resurfacing in my mind.

"Geez... come on Willy. Stop thinking about training and relax a little," I said to myself as I rinsed myself off. "Then again, maybe if I soak in the tub I'll relax and come up with an idea."

As soon as I was rinsed off, I stepped into the tub and let out a contented sigh as the warm water washed over me. Swimming in the lake was cool (literally), but nothing compares than a warm bath. As I soaked in the tub, I left my mind drift away and relaxed. I relaxed so much that I started to feel a little sleepy. Eventually even though I didn't realize it at the time, I fell asleep.

* * *

 _When I opened my eyes again, I found myself in an endless ocean again. Something I was all too familiar with. Then I heard something. Something strange rippling throughout the space I was in._

 _"This place..." I said as I looked around. "I... I've been here before.  
_

 _Then heard a noise. It sounded like something was vibrating. Then I heard a voice that sounded feminine. It was a voice that I knew anywhere in the world._

 _Willy... Willy..._

 _"Mama?" I called out. "Mama? Where are you?"_

 _"Listen to me Willy... You must...focus on the vibrations...focus on the vibrations by sensing and focus your magic on your hand...do it now..."  
_

 _At first I didn't know what the heck was going on, but then I did what I was told. I closed my eyes and listened deeply to the vibrations. I focused my magic power and also sensed the vibrations, but heard nothing. Nothing but vibrations. The voice came again.  
_

 _"Focus... focus on the vibrations... use your magic power to sense the vibrations and feel it...remember back to when you were playing with your friends..."  
_

 _"Wait! How do you know about my friends?" I demanded opening my eyes. "Mama! Answer me!_

 _"Just trust me Willy... use your current sensing ability and focus your magic power in your hand and focus...do it..."_

 _I wanted to know what was going on and why my Mama wasn't answering me, but I raised my hand and used my current sensing and added some magic power to my right hand. This time with a little more power. This time, the vibrations started to die down and I starting to feel something. Something that felt like water, but it had something mixed inside it. Something that felt warm and bright. Then I began to see something in my head. I could see a blue ball of light floating around a few feet behind me.  
_

 _"This feeling..." I thought. "I felt this before."_

 _I opened my eyes and turned around and I saw it. From my dream before, there was a murky cloud with glowing yellow eyes._

 _"What you're feeling is magic power as well as the water in other words The Aqua Sense...don't forget this feeling. If you do this with the help of your friends when you play... you will master what you seek..."_

 _At first I had no idea what she meant, but then I suddenly remembered. Back when I was playing with Lisanna and Elfman with their game when I sensed their voices and vibrations in the water. I also thought about my training and that's when it hit me. This was it! This was the way to pass my training. Playing that game with Lisanna and Elfman was the key!_

 _Then suddenly the murky cloud began to disperse and then I felt a powerful current blast me forcing me back and away from the water._

 _"Mama! Mama! Is that you?! Wait!"_

 _I tried to swim towards her, but the current was too strong and the murky cloud disappeared. I once again swept away by the current and I lost conscious._

* * *

My eyes snapped open and I found myself under the water of the tub. I opened my mouth to gasp, but water filled my mouth making me sit up immediately. I coughed getting the water out of my mouth. After clearing my throat and getting my breathing in order.

"What... was that just now...?" I said to myself.

Then I heard Finn. "Willy? Are you OK in there?"

"I-i'm fine Finn!" I called. "I...just kinda dozed off a bit. I'll be right out!"

"All right. Just don't stay in there too long. You may be a water magic user, but you can overheat from the bath!" called Finn.

"Okay!"

I then got out of the tub and dried myself off and exited the bath not wanting Finn to worry. As I got out of the bath, I didn't notice that my necklace was glowing again, but the light quickly faded as I left the bathroom.

After that, I got ready for bed and was lying in bed trying to close my eyes and trying to get to sleep. As I did, I thought about what I had just dreamt about. It was almost like the same dream back when I first found out about Aquadia disappearing. Not only that, but I was given a strange hint about my training. It not only helped me a little, but it also left me with a lot of questions. Like who that cloud was. I assumed it was my Mama Aqaudia, but at the same time for some reason I felt like it wasn't.

"Just what the heck was that?" I wondered. "Who was that? And why did that thing know about me playing with the Strauss siblings?"

I turned to my side still deep in thought, but then I quickly put it out of my mind. I finally had an idea of what to do for the training now. Or at least I had a way to practice. It seems Finn's and Tu Chi's words were right after all.

"One thing's for sure," I thought. "I'm definitely gonna be playing with Mira and the others again. After all, I gotta relax and play hard and I'm gonna do my best too!"

And after giving myself a determined fist pump, I went to sleep eager for tomorrow.

* * *

 _Sorry for the wait guys. Had to do a lot of thinking and go through a lot of stuff, but I'm glad I got this up now._

 _If you liked what you read, don't be afraid to tell me how my stories are and how to improve._

 _Until then, feel free to check out my other stories!_

 _Until then, dragoman out!_


	23. Chapter 23 The Past and Future

_Sorry if it's been a while, but here is the next chapter! I'm totally psyched for Fairy Tail Dragon Cry! I'm definitely gonna see it when I can. Until then, all I have to do is see Fairy Tail Zero and I'll be up to date. Until then, enjoy the next chapter._

* * *

Chapter 23

The Past and Future

NO POV

Once again, a few more days had passed. Willy had made some improvements since then. He took the strange being in his dream's tip advice and played a lot with the Strauss siblings on his days off. It was pretty good training for mastering the Aqua Sense. Thanks to that he was able to feel the waters inside the balls using his magic. He could now feel the vibrations in the water as well as the ethernano within them. Thanks to that, he was able to differentiate which ones were the ones that had the explosion magic in them and which ones didn't. Well... some what... He was still hitting the ones that had the explosion spells in them, but it was a big improvement from before. Instead of hitting just one or two of them he was able to hit a streak of eight or nine of them before hitting one with an explosion spell in it. He was so close and yet so very far.

One day he was training like by the waterfall as usual with Tu Chi supervising him.

"It's amazing," she thought to herself. "He's already able to hit a streak eight or nine of the balls without messing up. All he needs to do is to hit that last ball. But I'm not worried. At the rate he's going, he'll be able to hit that tenth ball in no time."

* * *

WILLY'S POV

I continued to hit the balls that came down. i was also on his sixth ball. As another volley came, I closed my eyes and sensed the water within them. There was three coming. One on the right had a hint of magic power in it so that one was rigged, but the other two on the left were safe. I jumped up and dodged the one on the right and went for the two on the left. He gave the first ball a Water Dragon Talon destroying it.

"Eight!"

And then I hit the other with an Iron Fist.

"Nine!"

 _"Just one more! One more ball!"_ I thought.

Another volley of balls came at me and I sensed the water in each of them. All of them had magic power within them which meant that all of them had been rigged with explosion spells.

 _"Oh man! They're all rigged!"_

I immediately jumped up and dodged them all. They hit the rock I was standing and they exploded. I sensed around trying to find a ball that had no magic in it.

 _"All I need was one more! One more! Where is it?!"_

Just when I thought that there was no other balls that weren't rigged and as I landed on the rock, another volley came at me. They were all also rigged or so I thought. I looked a few feet above me and there just coming down from the falls was a ball that wasn't rigged.

 _"There! The last ball that I need! If I can just hit that one...!"_

"WATER DRAGON AQUA JET!"

My feet erupted with water and I shot up right into the air. I dodged every ball that was rigged heading straight for the last one I need. It grew closer and closer and just when I was about to reach out and strike it, one of the balls that were rigged came falling to my right. I shot my right leg shooting water and made me go in the other direction pushing me safely out of the way, but made me get in the line of fire of another rigged ball. This time I made both of my legs shoot water just enough to dodge that one too. Then with everything I had, I rocketed upwards heading straight for my target with nothing else in the way.

"IT'S MIIIIINE!"

Letting out a big shout, I used my iron first attack and hit the ball with all of my might. The ball was destroyed in a single shot and water sprayed everywhere. I fell back to the ground landing safely on my feet on top of the rock. I was out of breath, exhausted, and battered, but I did it.

"I did it...I really did it... YEEEESSS! Did you see that Tu CHi?! I did it! I hit ten balls!"

* * *

NO POV

Tu Chi stared at Willy he hopped up and down in victory. She was smiling in a toothless smirk.

"I knew it. He finally did it!" she thought. "He finally mastered the Aqua Sense. Not to mention that he's a rare talent just like Finn0. There's no question about it now. He's indeed the one who can learn my techniques. Other than Finn, Willy has shown great promise and has tremendous potential."

Just then Willy who had gotten off the rock came out of the water and came up to Tu Chi.

"Hey Tu Chi! Did you see that?! I did it! I hit 10 balls in a row!" he said excitedly.

"Yes. I saw," Tu Chi said. "Well done Willy."

"And since I've passed this part of the training, you're gonna teach me your techniques right? You promised." Willy asked.

"I haven't forgotten," chuckled Tu Chi. "So you're ready to learn my moves? Do you think you can master them in your current state?"

"Uh huh!" said Willy nodding with confidence. "You bet!"

"Good," said Tu Chi. "For now, let's take a break. You could use it after all the hard work you did. Plus you earned it. Come. We'll have some tea at the temple."

"OK. I have been feeling a little thirsty."

And with that, Willy and Tu Chi headed for the temple.

* * *

WILLY'S POV

A few moments later, me and Tu Chi were sitting at the temple drinking tea and cookies.

"How is it Willy?" asked Tu Chi.

"It's good," I replied. "I think I'm finally getting used to this tea."

As I sipped my tea, I happened to take a look around the room. Then I happened to come across a painting on the wall. It was a painting of what looked to be a dragon battling a human. It kind of reminded me of Aquadia in a way, but this dragon looked different and more sinister looking. It was also black and had blue markings all over it's body.

"I take it you have an interest in that painting," said Tu Chi. "That was painted about several years ago."

"Really?"

As I looked at the painting, I couldn't help but stare at the dragon. Then I suddenly remembered. Maybe Tu Chi knew something about the dragons. If she did, maybe she can tell me why Aquadia disappeared and where she was. I was looking for some information after all.

"Excuse me Tu Chi, but can I ask you something?" I asked.

"Of course," said Tu Chi. "You wish to know if I know anything about dragons correct?"

I looked at Tu Chi in surprise. "How... How did you know..."

Tu Chi chuckled. "I've seen and heard many things about you Willy. I'm aware that you've been searching for your dragon that disappeared and you're now looking for any information about anything can that can help you find her. Correct?"

"Yes... that's exactly right," I said. "If you know anything, please tell me. Anything will help."

Tu Chi hummed tapping her finger on her chin. "I'm afraid I do not know anything about your dragon Willy."

"Oh," I said a little disappointed.

"However I can tell about this painting," said Tu Chi. "It does have something to do with dragons."

"Really?"

"Yes. However... I should warn you. The story I'm about to tell you may be overwhelming for you."

"I'll be OK," I replied. "Besides, any information regarding dragons would a big help to me. So... please tell me Tu Chi."

"Very well," said Tu Chi as she began her story. "This is a painting of a historical event that took place several years ago. An event that is known throughout history as... The Dragon King Festival."

"The Dragon King Festival?" I repeated.

"Yes. As I recall, this event took place over four hundred years ago. Back in that time dragons once ruled, food dominating the skies and ruling over the land and the sea treating us humans as their food."

My eyes widened in shock. "F-food? You mean... the dragons ate people?"

"Yes. In fact, they conquered every human nation they could find destroying and killing any human that crossed their path. However, there were some dragons who didn't eat humans and would rather coexist with them in peace and so began the war. The war between the dragons who wanted to conquer and the dragons and humans who wanted live together in peace. As the war raged on, the tide was turning into the dragons and humans favor."

"And...the dragons and humans won the war...right?" I asked hopefully.

"I'm afraid not," said Tu Chi solemnly.

I gulped. "You mean... Don't tell me... the dragons that wanted to conquer the humans won?"

"To put it simply... neither side won," said Tu Chi. "Just when the side of humans and dragons were about to claim victory, an individual came and killed them along with the dragons on the other side. The creature killed and destroyed every dragon and human on the battlefield until there was nothing left."

She paused dramtically.

"And the creature that killed all those people and dragons is the very thing that you see in this painting."

I looked at the painting and then back at Tu Chi.

"You mean... a dragon killed all them?!"

Tu Chi nodded. "Correct. That dragon forever more became known as The Black Dragon of the Apocalypse. Acnologia..."

"Acnologia..." I repeated looking at the painting again. "That's...crazy..."

"As crazy is it sounds, it's very much true. Soon after that terrible war, dragons faded from existence and to this day became nothing more but a legend."

"How... do you know all of this?"

"I have been told this story many times as a young girl," said Tu Chi. "I remember how parents used to tell me that story every time as a way of scaring me. It would haunt me just by thinking about it. In any case, that's all I know about the dragons. I'm sorry that I couldn't tell you anything more."

"So that dragon... killed all of those people and dragons?" I clenched my fists in anger. "How... how evil... how can anyone do such a thing?!"

"Now, now," said Tu Chi calmly. "If you're going to get angry, channel that anger for your training. After all, the training to going to get even more intense from here on in."

"Yeah! I can't wait to get started!" I said.

"Hey you guys! I'm back!"

Just then we both heard Finn calling and then he came into the room.

"Hey you two. How'd it go today?" he asked.

"Oh hey Finn," I said my anger quickly disappearing. "I finally was able to do it! I mastered the Aqua Sense!"

"Seriously? That's great!" said Finn. "Then that means you're gonna be moving on to the big stuff now."

"That's correct," said Tu Chi. "Now that Willy's mastered the Aqua Sense. I will now start teaching him all of my best techniques... starting tomorrow."

I almost fell on the floor in surprise hearing that.

"What?! Oh come on! I have to wait till tomorrow? Oh come on Tu Chi, can't I just start training today?" I complained. "I wanna start training and learn your spells!"

"Now, now. All things come to those who wait," said Tu Chi. "Besides, It's getting late and you should get some sleep."

"She's right you know. The sun's already setting by now," said Finn. "Besides you must be getting hungry by now."

"No way! I can still train!" I said. "Besides I'm not even hungry."

Then I heard a growling noise coming from my tummy making me blush a bright pink with embarrassment while Finn and Tu Chi laughed. My mind and my body may have been telling me that it's time to train some more, but my stomach was telling me that it was time to eat.

"OK..." I said defeatedly. "You win... I'll wait till tomorrow."

"Good," said Finn. "Now what do you say we go out and have some orange chicken tonight to celebrate?"

"Sounds great."

"Very well then," said Tu Chi smiling. "And don't worry Willy. You will have plenty of training first thing tomorrow."

"OK Tu Chi."

"All right then. You're dismissed."

After that, Finn and I left the room, leaving the dojo, and heading over to Sid's.

* * *

NO POV

As soon as Finn and Willy left the room, Tu Chi sighed and sat on a pillow near the table. Then she looked up at the painting.

"It's hard to believe that such a terrible tragedy took place that many years ago," she murmured.

She stared into the teacup that was still filled with tea and then looked up at the ceiling.

"What happened in the past cannot be changed, but...the future is something we can take into our own hands. The question is...which path of that future must we take? The path of that leads to the light? Or the path that leads to the darkness?"

* * *

WILLY'S POV

Me and Finn had just now came from Sid's eating a hearty meal. I had to admit, Sid makes the best orange chicken out there. Other than fish, I could eat it everyday if I wanted to. After we ate we walked back home. As we walked, I couldn't help but think the story that Tu Chi had just told me. I didn't know which sounded crazier. The fact that there was war between dragons and humans and no one knew about it or the fact that one single dragon was able to kill hundreds maybe even thousands of other dragons and people alike. One thing was sure, it sure was scary.

"I sure hope that I don't have to run into that thing," I thought. "But... at the same time I can't help but want to kill that thing for what it did. I mean... why would a dragon do such a thing especially at it's own kind? Not to mention that dragons were once the dominant species and they ate people."

I shivered upon hearing that thought.

"Am I glad that Aquadia isn't like that," I continued to myself. "If she was... well I don't want to think about it. Anyway... that explains why Finn didn't believe me when I told him about being raised by a dragon when we first met back when I was injured. Guess what Tu Chi said was true. People believe that dragons are nothing more but myth these days. Maybe... this has something to do with why Aquadia disappeared. Could it be connected in some way?"

"Hey Willy? You OK?" asked Finn. "You seem to be in deep thought about something."

"Oh. Sorry Finn," I said. "I'm fine. I... I'm just thinking about some things that's all."

"Are you still thinking about your training?"

"No. Just... thinking about Aquadia," I said.

"Oh. I see."

"Say... Finn can I ask you something? You remember back when we first met?"

"Yes."

"Well... be honest with me. Did you believe me when I said that I was raised by a dragon?"

Finn hummed. "Well... to be honest at first I didn't. I thought that you were loopy from being beat up, but seeing you use your magic on certain occasions made me change my mind otherwise. Plus Master told me that the dragons may be gone, but it doesn't necessarily mean that they don't exist."

"So you believe me now?"

"Of course I do," said Finn. "By the way, why ask such a question?"

"Oh nothing. No reason. I was just curious that's all," I replied looking down at the ground as I walked.

"Is it because you're still trying to find info as to where your dragon is?" asked Finn.

"Kinda," I said. "Tu Chi told me a story about the dragons, but I all that's led me to is more questions rather than answers. I just wish I had more information."

"I wouldn't worry so much about it," said Finn. "I'm sure that you'll find the answers that you're looking for. It'll just take a bit more time that's all. Until then, just take your time and focus on here and now."

"I'll do my best," I said.

"Besides, you should be more excited rather than mopey. After all you're finally gonna be learning Master's techniques. You're gonna be learning how to walk on water and even learn how to make water weapons too."

My face lit up. "You mean I'm gonna be learning how make water spells that let me use that...um... that sword thingy you have?"

"It's called a ninjatō and yes you will," chuckled Finn. "It'll take to master that spell, but it'll be cinch once you get the hang of it."

"Oh yeah! I can't wait!" I said feeling very excited now. "I'm gonna be a water ninja just like you Finn!"

"Hahaha. I don't know about that," said Finn. "Maybe one of these days you will."

"So... is she gonna teach me to walk on water too?" I asked.

"Maybe... but I don't about that one to be honest. That's an advanced spell," said Finn thoughtfully.

"To be honest... I'd rather not learn that spell," I said.

"Huh?!" Finn looked at me in surprise. "Why not?"

"To be perfectly honest, I would much rather swim in water than walking on it," I said. "It's seems kinda boring to me."

"Well... that maybe so, but don't you think it'll come in handy just in case?" asked Finn.

"Nah. Like I said, I'd rather swim than walk."

"Well... I guess that's fine," said Finn. "Nobody said that you had to learn certain spells...oh well. To each his own I guess."

As we continued to walk, we walked past a large building. It looked to be pretty old and kind of had some kind of religious feel to it. It had large glass windows with different colors and it had a large cross on top of it. When I saw it, I couldn't help but gaze at it.

"Finn? What's that place?" I asked.

"Oh that? That's the church of Osia," said Finn. "It's been there for who knows how long, but you don't wanna go over there though Willy. It's forbidden."

"Why is that?"

"Legend has it that many years ago, a monster once terrorized this town," said Finn ominously. "It wreaked havoc destroying everything in this town."

"Seriously?"

"Yes. Until one day, a strange mage came along and battled the demon to save the people in this town and then he defeated it and sealed it away inside the church in a cross. Now and days, no one dares go near that church for if you even step inside it... you will be cursed by the monster that was sealed..."

Finn then made a scary face and made ghostly moans attempting to scare me, but I wasn't scared.

"Finn, if you're trying to scare me it's not working," I said flatly. "I don't scare easily."

"Says the one who was shy when he first came into town," said Finn coolly.

"Hey!"

I blushed a bright shade of pink and Finn laughed heartily.

Soon we came home. I washed up, took a bath, and got ready for bed. I lied in my bed staring up at the ceiling trying to get some sleep, but I couldn't. My thoughts were still filled with what Tu Chi just told me about Acnologia and about The Dragon King Festival. It made me wonder about a lot of things, but mostly about Aquadia. I took my necklace out of my shirt and looked at the eye shaped gem. It shone a little from the moonlight, twinkling as the sounds of crickets could be heard. I still missed her a lot, but at the same time I was determined to find her more than ever. I closed my hand around my necklace and looked out the window and into starry filled sky.

"Don't worry Mama. I'm not gonna give up," I said to myself. "I'm gonna get stronger and I'm gonna find you. No matter what."

* * *

NO POV

As the night rolled on in another part of the continent in another forest, far away from Osia, someone was making her way through the forest. He was a young man that had neat silver hair that reached his shoulders, dark eyes, and dark skin. His outfit comprised of a black boa with a white cloak and with black pants and boots with a white boas snaking around his legs. He also held a staff that was wooden, had bandage-like wrappings near the top half and at the tip was a white skull with a headpiece reminiscent of those worn by Native American chiefs on it.

As the man walked through the forest, he soon came to a hill where he could see forest from a better view. In the distance, he saw a a certain town that was probably about several yards away. Then the skull on his staff began to clatter and then it spoke.

"So is that it Master? Is that the town you're looking for?" it asked.

The man looked at his staff.

"Yes it is. Rumor has it that particular town has something of interest to me and I intend to seize it. It should be the very thing we need in order to find what we seek."

"Pardon me for asking master, but what business do you have in that town anyway?" asked the skull. "Does it have information regarding you know what?"

"That's what I'm intending to find out," replied the man. "If it has what I'm looking for then I shall seize it.

"Wonderful Master," said the skull. "I can't wait till we find it. Once we do, the entire world will be groveling at your feet."

The man smiled.

"Yes. It will."

And with that, the young man resumed his walking and starting emitting a strange green aura. Then like he was some kind of mirage, the man disappeared into the night.

* * *

 _Sorry if it's been a while, but I managed to get another chapter up and going._

 _I know the description of this character might seem a little bit off, but hopefully I described him enough for you to know who it is._

 _Anyhoo if you liked what you read or if you want to give me some pointers, feel free to give me a PM or leave a review for me._

 _Until then, I hope to see you all again for my next chapter!_

 _Dragoman out!_


	24. Chapter 24 A Fight Begins

_Next chapter now here! Enjoy and happy reading!_

* * *

Chapter 24

A Fight Begins

NO POV

 ** _Three months later..._**

The forest was quiet. There was nothing, but the sound of the rustling of trees and the gurgling of the river could be heard. There was also a couple animals here and there going about their daily lives. A couple deer were at the stream drinking from the river and a mama bird was in it's tree singing it's song to anyone who would listen. Yes it was just another day in the forest, but then suddenly one of the deer snapped it head up sensing danger and looked behind her and the other deer followed suit. The bird also stopped chirping and all was still. Then the bird flew away and the deer ran off.

A few moments later two figures were running through the woods leaping from one tree branch to the other. Occasionally the two figures would clash with each other hitting with a great force. Sometimes one figure would hit one knocking it back and the other figure would hit the other back. Then one of the figures made a magic circle and made then threw a big water shuriken at the other. The other figure immediately reacted by jumping out of the way. The second figure then made a magic circle of his own and threw it at the other. The first figure bent back as if it was in The Matrix barely dodging it the star piercing the tree just behind it and then leaped on a branch towards the other figure. The figure sensing the danger that it was in dashed away jumping onto the next branch. The second figure followed close behind it in hot pursuit. The figures kept dashing through the trees heading straight toward one certain location.

Meanwhile back with Tu Chi, she was sitting on a pier just outside the temple meditating. Everything was so quiet and peaceful. The wind was blowing through and the water was calm. Then Tu Chi opened her eyes and looked up and saw Jade flying toward her. She stood up and held out her hand and Jade landed gracefully and gently on her arm.

"Well hello there Jade," said Tu Chi stroking her head. "How are you on this fine day?"

Jade gave a few squawks as if she was complaining about something. Tu Chi nodded.

"I understand," she said. "Those two are a rowdy duo aren't they? They always seem to cause quite commotions sometimes. Don't worry. It's just about-"

Suddenly there a boom in the distance causing the trees to shake. A large amount of birds startled by the boom flew away not wanting to get caught in it. Tu Chi saw this and she couldn't help but sigh.

"Oh my. Speak of the devil. Or should I say devils."

Then in the distance just by the shore of the lake, two figures burst out from the forest. One figure was Finn and the other was Willy. Both of them were slightly battered and their clothes were torn, but they both clashed against each other fighting with flurries of mighty kicks and blows. Tu Chi watched from afar with a neutral expression on her face witnessing the fight.

"It's been three months and Willy has progressed very well," Tu Chi thought to herself. "Just like I thought he would. Don't you think so Jade?"

Jade answered with a few grumpy coos and Jade continued to spectate the fight.

* * *

 **WILLY'S POV**

I was in the middle of a sparring session with Finn. It been almost three months since the last time I started training under Tu Chi. The training was difficult, but it grew easier and I can safely say that I'm almost as strong as Finn. I think. Finn and I were chasing each other in the forest texting our speed. Now we were locked in close combat throwing every kick and punch we had at each other. Back and forth was how it went for a few seconds until I managed to get a hit on Finn by kicking him square in his stomach. Finn clenched his teeth in pain, but retaliated back with a powerful punch to my face. Both of us staggered from the blows, but the two of us were far from finished.

"You've definitely gotten stronger Willy," said Finn. "I must say that I'm impressed with you."

"Thanks Finn," I replied. "You're no slouch either, however today's the day that I'm gonna win. You may have beaten me all the other times we sparred, but this time is gonna be different."

"Heh. We shall see," said Finn as he took a fighting stance.

I took my fighting stance as well and the two of us stared at each other down waiting for one of us to make a move. Then I made the first move.

"WATER DRAGON CLONES!"

Then two clones appeared on my right and my left.

"You're going for that old trick Willy?" asked Finn raising a brow. "Surely you know that won't work on me?"

"We'll see about that," we said as me and the clones dashed toward Finn.

Finn braced himself for me and my clones as we dashed right for him. Just when we were about to attack, we scattered in three different directions and we ran in a circle in an attempt to confuse Finn. Then one of my clones came at Finn cloaking it's legs with water and dashing toward Finn.

"WATER DRAGON TALON!"

The clone attacked with a talon attack. Finn dodged it with ease, but the attack left a small rip on Finn's clothes. As we circled around Finn, each one of us took turns trying to get a hit on Finn, but Finn kept blocking or dodging. This went on and on until Finn took a great leap and back-flipped away gaining some distance. Then he spread his water wings and took off flying into the air.

"Let's see how you do in aerial combat Willy," called Finn as he flew.

"Fine!" I said. "WATER DRAGON WINGS!"

I planted my feet and then a magic circle appeared on my back as a pair of my own water wings appeared on my back. I spread them and took off into the air after Finn with the clones following suit. Letting out a cry of battle I attacked Finn with a flurry of fists while he kept blocking and dodging. We dashed about in the air attacking and dodging each other like two birds fighting for territory. We all clashed again and again neither one of us backing down until I landed a hit right at Finn's face with a talon attack. Finn recoiled, but not before dashing towards me. I crossed my arms and blocked, but the force of the attack sent me downwards towards the ground. Then in a quick fashion, he downed my other two clones making all three of us plummet towards the ground. I quickly spread wings slowing down my decent and I touched down onto the ground safely. The other clones were able to touch down safely as well.

I looked up at Finn in time to see him deploy a magic circle and all around him small droplets of water formed around him.

"Take this! LIQUID GATLING!" shouted Finn as he swung his hands forward and the droplets of water shot straight toward my location.

"Oh crap! WATER DRAGON GEYSER WALL!"

I slammed my fist into the ground and a huge wall of water erupted from the ground shielding me from Finn's attack. The clones followed suit making the wall stronger. Finn tsked and made another magic circle producing the same shuriken that he used to attack me before. He took careful aim and then threw it towards me. The shuriken shot through the air and suddenly swerved to the left of me and the clones going around the wall and aiming right for us. Seeing the attack coming I immediately jumped up dodging the shuriken just before it hit me. The clones weren't so lucky. The shuriken sliced right through their midsections cutting them in half. The clones then turned into puddles of water being defeated. While I was in the air, two magic circles appeared in my hands and two water shurikens appeared on my hands.

"WATER DRAGON DOUBLE STAR!"

I threw both shurikens towards Finn both on them zipping through the air. Finn seeing them coming toward him dodged them by swooping downwards, but then the shurikens zipped back towards Finn right towards his back. Sensing the attack coming, Finn once more dodged them. Then I dashed up into the air right above Finn and summoned another magic circle. This time the magic circle appeared on lower back and a long water whip appeared.

"WATER DRAGON AQUA TAIL!"

I swung my makeshift tail and slammed right on top of Finn's head. Finn plummeted to the ground taking a powerful hit. Not letting up, I cloaked my hands in water and swung them down releasing shock waves of water toward where Finn was falling.

"WATER DRAGON WING ATTACK!"

Finn spread his wings slowing him down and he looked up in time to see my Wing Attack barreling straight toward him. The attack hit it's mark causing a big cloud of dust to erupt from the impact. I touched down to the ground and dispersed my wings staring at the dust cloud. I knew that it wasn't over yet. Not by a long shot.

"Come on Finn! I know that attack didn't take you out," I called out.

And I was right. When the dust cleared, there stood Finn who was a little dusty, but he hardly took any damage.

"Not bad Willy," he said dusting himself off. "You've really come a long way since we last sparred, but... I grow tired of this little spar. I'd say it's time that I get a little serious."

Finn then summoned a magic circle on his hand and summoned his ninjatō and gave me that look. That same look from last time back when I first started training. Back I got freaked out and I lost to him tremendously, but this time I was ready and trained for him. I spread my arms out wide and two magic circles appeared in my hands. Then from the air on my hands, two long ropes of water appeared and I grabbed them on both ends. The water changed and solidified and they took the shape of my own weapons of water.

"Water Dragon Double Blade," I said as I spun my swords and took a fighting stance of my own not backing down.

The two of us had a thirty second stare down. The winds blew causing a few leaves to fall. Then a leaf fell onto the lake causing ripples into the water. The two of us then went on the attack. The two of us clashed with our weapons causing multiple metallic clangs to be heard in the air. I swung my swords repeatedly hoping to land a blow, but Finn kept blocking them with ease. He slashed at me with his ninjatō, but I blocked his attacks by crossing my swords. The force of the attack was so strong though that it caused me to backpedal a few steps. Finn sprang forward and swung aiming his sword right at my midsection. I dug my feet and blocked the attack with my swords and gave Finn a kick right in his stomach. Finn gasped from the impact as he was sent to the ground flat on his back. Not down for the count yet, Finn swung his feet making an attempt to sweep me, but I jumped up distancing myself a few feet back while Finn sprang up on his feet getting back up on his dfeet. The two of us engaged in another stare down waiting for one of us to make a move.

"Ya-me!"

Both of us immediately snapped our heads towards the direction where we heard the voice to see Tu-Chi walking towards us with Jade on her shoulder. Then Finn dispersed his ninjatō and I dispersed my swords after spinning them a little.

"Well done you two," said Tu Chi. "You've both improved impressively."

"Thank you Sensei," Me and Finn said bowing politely.

"As a reward for all of your hard work you both can have the rest of the day off," said Tu Chi. "Be sure to enjoy it to the fullest. Dismissed."

"Hai!" said Me and Finn.

"All right! I'm gonna go see Mira, Lisanna, and Elfman," I said. "You think I can spend the night with them Finn?"

"I think that's a wonderful idea," said Finn. "Come on. We'll both go see them after we stop by at Sid's. We'll see you later Master."

"Bye Tu Chi," I said as we both left with Tu Chi smiling and waving as we left.

* * *

NO POV

As Tu Chi watched them leave, she was just walking back towards the temple when suddenly she stopped. She felt something. Something that had an evil malice about it.

"This feeling..." she thought. "I sense something. Something evil."

She closed her eyes and then tapped her staff on the ground and used Aqua Sense. In her mind a large wave of blue energy rippled all around her spreading throughout the area like a wave. The wave of energy soon washed over Osia and kept on going past. Then suddenly as soon as it reached the forest, there was a small humanoid ball of energy. Normally when a person uses Aqua Sense, all the animals and people who had Ethernano had the color blue. However this one that Tu Chi was sensing was green instead and had a sinister wave about it. The figure was walking through the forest holding what appeared to be a staff heading towards of the direction of Osia itself. Tu Chi stopped using the Aqua Sense and opened her eyes.

"Someone's coming this way," she thought. "And whoever it is has an evil magic power. I may not know what purpose this person has, but it's without a doubt not a good thing."

She turned to Jade.

"Jade. I want you to fly above and check out the area. Let me know if you see anyone suspicious," she said.

Jade acknowledged with a chirp and she took off into the sky. Tu Chi then headed back into the temple.

"In any case, I better let Finn know about this," said Tu Chi to herself. "And I have to make sure that Willy doesn't know."

* * *

WILLY'S POV

Me and Finn walked over to Sid's place and had a hearty lunch together. After we finished eating, me and Finn started walking again heading over to the Strauss family's house to see if Mira and her siblings were there. Soon the Strauss sibling's house came into view and we came up to the door and knocked. We were then greeted by Lisanna.

"Oh! Hey Willy! Hey Finn!" she said smiling. "Hey Mira! Elfman! Willy and Finn are here!"

Elfman then came to the door. "Hey there Willy. It's good to see you," he said.

"Likewise Elfman," I said smiling.

"How are you Finn?" asked Lisanna.

"I'm fine. Thanks for asking Lisanna," said Finn. "Where's Mira?"

"She's inside. We were just about to go the lake and swim," said Lisanna. "After that we were gonna get some things for the house."

"You wanna come with us?" asked Elfman. "We could always use an extra pair of hands afterwards."

"I'd love to," I said.

"Hey Mira! Your boyfriend's gonna be joining us today!" called Lisanna.

"He's not my boyfriend!" yelled Mira from inside the house.

Lisanna snickered. "I love teasing her like that."

"Oh Lisanna..." sighed Elfman pinching his nose.

Then Mira came to the door. Her face was in the form of a angry snarl due to Lisanna's teasing, but when she saw me her anger immediately disappeared.

"Oh! Hi Willy," she said. "How are you?"

"I'm doing fine," I said. "You seem just as lively as ever."

"Um...yeah. Sure..." said Mira looking away.

"You loooove him," teased Lisanna.

In response, Mira pinched Lisanna on her side making her yelp a little.

"Come on you guys," said Elfman. "Let's get to the lake already. I'm wanting to show Willy how much I've improved on my swimming."

Finn chuckled. "Then how about we get going?" asked Finn. "We'll walk there together."

"Sounds great," I said. "Come on you guys! Let's go swimming!"

And so we all headed towards the lake eager to have some fun.

* * *

NO POV

Soon they all arrived at the clinic and headed for the lake. The kids all went to the dressing rooms so they could all get dressed in their swimming clothes while Finn waited outside and kept an eye on things. As he waited, he happened to be looking up in the sky absently humming a tune. Then he saw a birds flying above the sky. At first he thought that it was a normal bird, but then he squinted his eyes.

"Wait a minute... isn't that Jade?" he said to himself. "Is master using her to spy on us again?"

Then suddenly Finn sensed something coming at him and sure enough, an arrow with a note tied on it shot out and he caught it with his fingers.

"Another message from Master?" wondered Finn as he untied the note and read it.

 _Meet me in the front of the entrance and don't tell Willy. Very important.  
_

"That's strange," said Finn to himself. "I wonder what could be wrong? I hope it's nothing serious."

Just then the kids came out of the locker rooms and were fully dressed in their swimming clothes.

"We're finished Finn," said Lisanna. "We're gonna go swimming now."

"All right," said Finn. "I'll be right back. I have to go check on something. Have fun swimming and if leave the lake to go shopping be safe OK?"

"OK," they kids said as Finn left heading for the entrance of the clinic.

When he got there, he looked around the entrance where Tu Chi was waiting for him.

"I got your message Master," said Finn. "What's up?"

"Something's coming this way," said Tu Chi her looking serious. "Something evil."

Finn's eyes widened a little and could see that Tu Chi was serious. "Wait... someone's coming to our village?" he asked. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. I just sensed it a while ago. I also sent Jade to scout the area."

"Do you know when this enemy will come here?"

"By my estimate based on my Aqua Sense, I'd say sometime tonight."

"Tonight?!" gasped Finn. "You're kidding!"

"There is nothing to kid about this," said Tu Chi. "That's why I called you out here. I need you to be prepared tonight. You and I will engage the enemy to make sure that whoever it is doesn't cause any damage."

"Right," nodded Finn. "But wait... what about Willy? Why didn't you want Willy to know about this? Wouldn't he be a great help to us in fighting this enemy?"

"Yes. That may be so, but I've decided not to," said Tu Chi. "Willy may have been trained well, but he's still inexperienced. Plus if all else fails, Willy will be the last line of defense. Besides, this enemy's magic power is overwhelmingly powerful."

"How powerful?" asked Finn.

"All I can say... is very," said Tu Chi. "Which is why you won't be telling Willy any of this. Understood? You'll continue to go about your every day watching over Willy. When night comes, I want you to patrol the village. Understood?"

"Yes Master," said Finn.

"Good. I'm heading back to the temple to wait for Jade. Stay on guard Finn and prepare yourself."

And with that Tu Chi walked away leaving Finn standing by the front entrance feeling a swirl of emotions going through his mind.

"Someone's coming to the village...tonight," he thought to himself. "If whoever does show up with evil intentions, everyone in Osia will probably be in danger."

He thought about the people in the town, then Sieri, the Strauss siblings, and then Willy.

"I have to protect them," he said aloud. "This is what Tu Chi trained me for. I owe her my life for teaching me magic and how to defend myself. Now it's time I pay her back along with everyone else in Osia. He then went inside back to the lake."

* * *

WILLY'S POV

Me and the Strauss siblings had a great time at the lake. We raced, splashed fought, and when played that game that helped me master the Aqua Sense. After a while when it was close to the evening, we all went to the center of town to help the Strauss siblings get a couple of things for them. We already got some vegetables and were now getting some meat.

"Now...let's see..." mumbled Mira as she looked at her list. "We need a couple pounds of meat. Lisanna, can you check to see if we have enough money to buy some meat?"

"Sure thing sis," said Lisanna as she dug into her bag searching for some money. "Ah. Yep. We have just enough."

"Good," said Mira. "Elfman. All we need is to get the meat right?"

"Yup. We sure do," replied Elfman.

Me and Finn watched as the Strauss siblings went about their business.

"Wow," I said. "Mira's just like a mom rather than a sister when I see her like this."

"She sure is," said Finn absently. "She sure is."

I looked at Finn and I noticed that he was acting a little strangely. He was looking all around from his left to his right as if he was being careful about something.

"Hey Finn. Is something wrong?" I asked.

"Oh. It's nothing Willy," said Finn. "Just looking around."

His response was a little weird to me, but I didn't pay too much attention. Hopefully it was nothing. Just we happened to be walking past a stand. It was a stand that sold knick knacks and other trinkets. Mira stopped and then looked at something that caught her eye. Hanging on a rack was a bracelet. It was tanish white with flowers circling around it. As soon as Mira saw it, she couldn't stop gazing at it. She stared at it as if she wanted it. Then Lisanna snapped Mira out of her gaze.

"Hey Mira. Come on we gotta buy some more meat. We don't wanna be out too late," she said.

"Oh. Yeah. Yeah," said Mira absently as she resumed walking.

I looked at Mira walking away with her siblings and then at the bracelet she was looking at.

"She must really want that bracelet," I said.

"She probably does," said Finn. "Ever since her parents died, Mira's never had any jewel to spare to buy herself some things. Things that a normal girl could want. Sadly she only has jewel to support herself and her siblings."

I looked up at Finn and then at the bracelet. Then an idea popped into my head.

"Finn. Tell Mira and the others that I'm gonna go get something real quick. I'll be right back!," I said.

"Willy what are you-" Finn began to say, but then I took off into the air spreading my water wings and flew away out of sight. He scratched his head feeling a little puzzled.

"What in the world is Willy up to?" he wondered.

At first he was scratching his head, but then he understood and smiled.

"Oh brother," he said chuckling. "Of course that's what he's going to do. Well then, I guess I'd better tell the Strauss siblings then."

* * *

NO POV

Soon the shopping was finished and Finn and the Strauss siblings had finished their shopping. When they noticed that Willy was gone, Finn told them what he had told them and he was also going to be spending the night with them. Then Finn went home leaving the Strauss by themselves and so the three of them headed home. When they made it home, they found that Willy wasn't there.

"Well then, we're home," said Mira.

"I don't see Willy anywhere," said Lisanna. "I wonder where he is?"

"Who knows?" said Elfman. "I hope he's alright."

"I'm sure he's OK," said Mira. "He said that he was going to go get something and then come here right?"

"You sure you ain't worried Mira?" asked Lisanna. "After all he is your boyfriend."

"Lisanna please... I'm not in the mood for your jokes," sighed Mira. "If you got time to joke, then you got time to help me with-"

"Hey look!" said Elfman. "There's Willy now."

Sure enough in the distance, there was Willy flying towards them. Eventually he touched down on the ground dispelling his wings.

"There you are Willy," said Elfman. "What took you so long?"

"Sorry I'm late," said Willy. "I had... something to do. Anyway, you guys are making dinner right? Let me help you guys make it."

"You sure?" asked Mira. "You are a guest."

"No worries," said Willy. "Besides I've visited your house a lot of times and I've watched Finn cook a bunch of times. I wanna help this time."

"All right then," said Mira. "But I'm gonna be supervising you alright?"

As they walked inside the house, Lisanna couldn't help but notice that Willy was holing something in his hand hiding it.

"Hey Willy? What's that your holding?" she asked.

"Um... nothing!" said Willy. "Just...something I bought."

"Come on. Tell me," said Lisanna.

Willy put a finger to his lips making a shushing noise. "Please keep it quiet. It's a present for someone."

Lisanna at first didn't understand, but then she smiled and nodded and winked. "Ah... I got you. Willy you sly dog."

"Come on you two," said Mira. "Are you guys coming in or not?"

"Coming!" Willy and Lisanna said as they both went inside the house.

* * *

WILLY'S POV

After we made dinner, all of us cleaned up and got ready for bed. Well almost all of us. Me and Mira stayed up a little cleaning up.

"Whew. Thanks for helping me out Willy," said Mira. "Even though you're a guest. I feel kinda bad."

"It's no trouble Mira," I said. "What are friends for? Besides you're always doing so much for your siblings. It's the least I can do."

"By the way Willy, what was it that you were going to get?" asked Mira. "Lisanna seemed really interested."

"You really wanna know?" I asked.

Mira nodded. Since Lisanna and Elfman were getting ready for bed, I figured now would be a good time to give it to her. I dug into my pocket and I pulled out something wrapped in a piece of paper and gave it to Mira.

"Here. I noticed this and I thought that you would like it," I said.

Mira took the what I gave her and unwrapped it. Her eyes widened in surprise. It was the bracelet that she was looking at earlier today. She looked at it and then at me.

"Willy... is this for me?" she murmured.

"Yes. I noticed that you were looking at it and I also know how much you work hard for Elfman and Lisanna and I know you'll probably won't want it... but I wanted to give you that as my way of saying thank you," I said. "You know for being my friend and other stuff. And don't worry I bought that with my own jewel that earned from taking those jobs. Plus... I think you deserve it. Sorry if I'm not good with words."

Mira stood there in silence still staring at the bracelet. Then her eyes began welling up with tears until they started to stream down her face.

"Oh no! Mira I'm sorry!" I said. "I didn't want to make you cry. I mean... it's ok if you don't like it. I mean-"

Suddenly Mira stepped forward and wrapped her arms around me in a big hug.

"Thank you..." she whispered. "Thank you so much... "

"You like it?"

"I do... I've been wanting this since I was a little girl," said Mira wiping her tears. "My mom would always tell me if I was a good girl she would get this for me, but she...never got the chance to because we weren't exactly rich. That's why whenever I'd look at it, I would want it so much. That's why... I"ll treasure this Willy. I'll treasure this for the rest of my life. Thank you..."

I smiled. "You're quite welcome."

Unknown to us, Lisanna and Elfman were standing behind the corner and they both saw and heard everything and they also were grinning ear to ear. Soon after that, me and Mira joined them and the four of us went to bed. I especially felt happy for making Mira smile and I thought things couldn't be better.

Little did I know, that would probably be the last night that I would have in peace and happiness. For that night was the night where another terrible incident would happen and it would change my life once again. Only this time the Strauss sibling would be along for the ride.

* * *

NO POV

That night Osia was silent. Everyone was fast asleep obvious as to what was happening outside of their homes. Little did they know, a lone man was walking through Osia silently making his way through town. The man with the staff. The man walked through the streets until eventually he came up to the forbidden church.

"So this is the place," said the man. "Legend has it that something was sealed inside it many years ago. Something that pushed this town to the brink of destruction."

He walked up to the entrance of the church and was blocked by a white magic circle.

"Hm. A protection spell. How pathetic," said the man.

He raised his hand and the magic circle that was blocking his way was instantly dispersed blowing open the doors. The man was about to walk inside the church when suddenly something zipped by narrowly missing his face piercing the floor. Then he heard a voice.

"Stop right there!"

The man slowly turned to find that there standing before him with his ninjatō raised was Finn. The man turned around facing Finn calmly and glared at him.

"You know I don't appreciate people sneaking up behind me like that you lowly maggot," he spoke.

"And I don't appreciate you skulking about my town," Finn snapped. "Now tell me who you are and what are you doing here? What business do you have?"

"I have no interest in answering a lowly maggot like you," said the man. "Begone. DARK CAPRICCIO!"

The man pointed his staff and a purple demonic looking magic circle appeared at the tip and a beam of darkness shot out aimed right for Finn. The attack was so fast that Finn couldn't react in time and it seemed that he would be hit. But then someone came in front of Finn and deflected the attack using a staff of her own. The man's spell was sent into the air before disappearing into the sky. Finn opened his eyes and saw his rescuer which turned out to be Tu Chi.

"Master! You came just in time," said Finn gratefully.

"Stay on your toes Finn," said Tu Chi. "This one is strong like I thought."

"Well well," said the man. "Tu Chi. One of the greatest water mages that ever existed in this world who is said to be on par with one of the ten wizard saints. How interesting."

"Listen well young man," said Tu Chi. "If you're looking to pick a fight, I'll be happy to oblige but what do you say that we fight in another location instead of here? I'd rather not cause a ruckus waking up the people you know. Plus you might want to step away from the church. You'll find nothing but a demon that was sealed inside there. "

"And why would I listen to you?" asked the man pointing his staff. "What will you do if I don't?"

Tu Chi sighed. "So you want me to do this the hard way do you? Alright then."

Then Tu Chi's face turned into a fierce glare. A glare that Finn had not seen for quite a while.

"That look on her face," he thought. "Master's serious."

Tu Chi then summoned a magic circle and the man was immediately surrounded by a shell of water and before he had a chance to react, Tu Chi gave the shell of water a mighty kick sending it flying all the way out of Osia. She also spread her wings and took flight heading towards the location where she sent the man.

"Finn! Follow me!" she called.

"Right!" said Finn as he too spread his wings and took to the air as well following Tu Chi. But... unknown to them as they flew away from Osia, the cold wind began to blow. Inside the church in the middle of an altar, a coffin stood. The reason why the church was forbidden. It was old, black, and covered in paper seals that seem to kept it closed. When the wind blew into the room, the coffin began to glow and it rattled as if something was alive inside of it. The coffin kept on rattling until it stopped and then a deep hiss came out of it.

* * *

 _That's all for now kiddies! If you like what you read or want to give me some pointers, don't be afraid to leave a comment or a review._

 _Dragoman out!_


	25. Chapter 25 Awakening of a Demon

_The next chapter is now up. Enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter 25

Awakening of a Demon

The man with the staff was sent flying inside Tu Chi's water shell until it landed just outside the outskirts of town. The shell hit the ground with a mighty splash and boom making water splash everywhere. Water rained everywhere causing some animals that just happened to be in the area to run away in fright. Eventually the rain died down and Tu Chi and Finn soon arrived at the scene where the shell landed ready to fight the man if he had survived. Sure enough, the man stood up from a crater where the water shell hit almost completely unfazed.

"Damn it. He was able to take that hit?" said Finn clicking his tongue.

"That's to be expected Finn," said Tu Chi. "This isn't any ordinary enemy. Stay on your guard got it?"

"Right."

"I'm impressed," said the man. "You certainly have earned your title as a Wizard Saint Tu Chi. However... it's going to take a lot more than that to inflict any kind of damage to me."

He raised his staff and the staff began to gather up magic power, then he pointed it at the two of them and fired his spell again.

"DARK RONDO!"

A dark blast of dark magic shot straight at them, but Tu Chi and Finn dodged. Finn spread his wings and took off into the air and Tu Chi leaped to her right getting herself out of the way. She then placed her hands together as if she was praying and then spread them out while making a blue magic circle appear in front of her. Then several drops of water appeared all around her. She swung her arms forwards and the drops fired straight at the man.

"AQUA BULLETS!"

The man quickly jumped out of the way to avoid the attack, but then Finn joined the fray firing a spell of his own.

"WATER STAR!"

He made a shuriken of water and flung it right at the man, but the man quickly deflected the attack using his staff.

"Child's play," he said smirking.

Finn immediately appeared in front of him with his ninjatō poised and slash aiming right for the man's throat. The man was barely able to block the attack in time by using his staff. Finn repeatedly attacked by slashing his ninjatō at the man again and again, but the man kept blocking the attacks with ease. Then when slashed again, the man seemed to disappear only to reappear right behind Finn. He got ready to fire another spell, but then Tu Chi's voice rang out.

"Finn! Move out of the way! WATER DRAGON!"

She slammed her hand to the ground and a blue magic circle appeared in front of her. Then a giant spout of water erupted from the circle and shot into the sky. Tu Chi quickly flicked her fingers and water came to life changing into the shape of a dragon. The water dragon roared at it shot straight towards the man and Finn it's red eyes gleaming. Finn seeing the dragon immediately took flight into the air spreading his wings. The man's eyes widened seeing the attack come towards him. He immediately countered the dragon by firing his Dark Rondo at the dragon. The attacks collided and exploded with a mighty explosion causing water to rain once more everywhere.

"I'm impressed Wizard Saint," said the man. "You're strong in power and it seems you've been training a disciple that is almost just as skilled as you are. However, is that the best you two can do? DARK RONDO!"

He pointed his staff and fired his spell again aiming for Finn.

"Finn look out!" called Tu Chi.

Finn immediately saw the attack coming and punched his fists together.

"TURTLE SHELL DEFENSE!"

A barrier of water formed in front of him taking the shape of a turtle's shell and blocked the incoming attack shielding himself from the attack. The man clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"Lowly maggot," he growled.

"Sorry! But you're attack won't be able to pierce through the Turtle Shell spell!" said Finn. "Your attacks won't touch me!"

"Is that a fact?" said the man. "Then allow me to test that statement with this! DARK CAPRICCIO!"

The man fired another spell at Finn again and Finn used his turtle shell and blocked the attack. Tu Chi assumed that Finn blocked the attack, but then she saw the man who had a smirk on his face. She soon figured out why.

"Finn! Get out of there now!" she yelled.

Finn looked at his master in confusion and then sure enough the man's spell was slowly drilling its way through his shell until it broke right through. Finn jumped out of the away to dodge, but the attack hit him right at his hip. Finn jumped into the air and landed a few away gaining some distance. He held his side in pain as well as a few drops of blood dripped from his hand holding his wound. The man laughed seeing Finn in this state.

"How does that feel maggot? The Dark Capriccio is a lot more than an attacking spell. It can pierce through any pitiful defense that you put up. So, go ahead and put up that defense spell that you're so proud of. I'll just pierce right through it and you."

"Finn are you OK?" asked Tu Chi as she rushed over to his side.

"I'm fine," said Finn. "He just grazed me. His attack surprised me though. I didn't expect him to pierce through the shell so easily."

Tu Chi then placed a hand on Finn's wound and it started glowing blue. The light from her hand then spread over Finn's wound and dimmed down. She removed her hand showing that Finn's wound had healed if not scarred slightly.

"Thank you Master," said Finn. "That feels much better."

"Just take care," said Tu Chi. "If you get hit in that same spot it'll open up."

"Hm. So, you can use healing magic? No matter," said the man. "No amount of healing magic can save you from what lies in store for getting in my way."

"Answer me this young man," said Tu Chi as she straightened up. "What business do you have in Osia?"

"I don't have to answer to you woman," spat the man. "Although I will say that your measly little village doesn't have what I'm looking for. I was told that something powerful was sealed here, but I suppose that was nothing more but a rumor."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Finn. "Are you after the creature that was sealed in the church?"

The man looked at Finn and then he laughed.

"That pitiful thing? Please. Why would I be interested in such a thing? What I'm after far exceeds what that excuse monstrosity is capable of."

"And what is that?" asked Tu Chi narrowing her eyes.

"Like I told you before, I don't have to answer to you woman," said the man. "It doesn't concern you."

"It concerns me when you endanger the lives of people in this town," said Tu Chi gripping her staff. "I don't know who you are or what you're doing here but you are not leaving here without giving us some answers. I suggest you answer now before we all do something we both regret."

"Is that a threat?" the man smirked.

"And what if it is?" Finn said drawing his ninjatō.

"Hm. You're two certainly are interesting, but I'm afraid that I must take my leave," said the man turning his back to them. "I don't have any more time to waste on the two of you."

"Oh no you don't! You're not getting away!" shouted Finn as he pounced straight at the man slashing him.

He slashed straight at the man's back, but he passed right through him. Finn turned around in time to see the man vanish into thin air.

"Damn it! He disappeared!"

Then Tu Chi and Finn heard the man's voices laughing and echoing seeming like he was everywhere.

"Rather than worrying about what my motives are, don't you think you have more pressing concerns to attend to?" said the man's voice. "After all you said it yourself Wizard Saint. You care about the people in your own do you not?"

"What do you mean by that?" called out Tu Chi. "Answer me!"

No one replied.

"Damn it! Get back here you coward!" called Finn angrily.

"It's no use Finn. He's long gone by now," said Tu Chi. "I can no longer sense his magic power."

"Who was that guy? And what did he want here?" asked Finn.

"I do not know," replied Tu Chi. "But I do know one thing, we must head back to town. I'm fear that the people of Osia are in danger."

"What makes you say that Master?"

"There's no time. Come. We must hurry Finn."

Tu Chi then leaped into the air spreading her water wings and took flight.

"Hey! Master! Wait for me!"

Finn hastily deployed his wings and followed after her.

* * *

Meanwhile back at the church inside, the coffin was still rattling and glowing and emitting hissing and growling noises as the being that was kept inside it struggled and struggled to break free. As it did one by one the paper seals around it began to tear and burst into nothingness. One by one the paper seals were destroyed until only one remained on top of the coffin. That paper seal was destroyed as well. There was nothing but silence. Then suddenly the coffin burst open and a bright light erupted from the inside of it with a mighty boom. It was so overwhelmingly bright that the church became ablaze with it.

Then from out of the light, something emerged. It had a slight feminine appearance, brown wooden like skin with purple gem like things all over its body, had green hair like it had leaves on top of its head, and it's face looked sunken much like a zombie's. It stood on its feet and looked around. It took a moment for the creature to realize that it was finally free from its prison. It let out a terrifying shriek causing all the windows to break all around the area. It was so loud that it reached all the way from the outskirts of town. Anyone of the townspeople who were around the area woke up with a start. The demon burst out from the church and let out another shriek. From the gem like things all over its body, it unleashed a barrage of beams that shot everywhere. The beams raked one building after another turning everything into rubble in their path. The townspeople began to panic and scream in terror as the demon continued to wreak havoc from on top of its perch.

* * *

Tu Chi and Finn heard the shrieks and could see smoke and dust rising from the center of town.

"Damn it! It's just as I feared! That man released the seal on the church!" cursed Tu Chi.

"The seal from the church? You mean..." breathed Finn.

"Yes! The church where the demon that wreaked havoc on Osia years ago was sealed in. "

"But... I thought it was nothing more, but a myth!"

"I'm afraid it's true. When that man unsealed the door to the church, the demon must have awakened to that man's magic power and the seals that were placed on it just have weakened over time allowing the demon to break free."

"So, what do we do? That thing's wreaking havoc in the middle of town! If we don't stop it, who knows how many people will get hurt!"

"I know. Listen up Finn, you evacuate the townspeople and move them away from town! I'll will handle the demon! Understood?"

"Yes Master! I'll get Sieri to help as well!"

Then as Finn and Tu Chi flew towards the church, they split up. Finn helped the townspeople evacuate and Tu Chi landed in front of the church where the demon stood on top shrieking loudly. Then it saw her. When it did, it growled and hissed at her extending its claws, but Tu Chi remained unfazed.

"All right you demon," she said. "You've inflicted a lot of damage to this place. The mage who had sealed you in the church years ago may have shown you leniency, but for one will not! Prepare yourself!"

She stuck her staff into the ground and took a stance emitting a bright blue aura releasing her magic power. The demon glared at her and let out another shriek that rung in the ears of everyone in Osia.

* * *

 **WILLY'S POV**

My eyes immediately snapped open and I woke up with a start upon hearing that terrible noise. Mira sat up as well feeling just as startled as I was.

"What the heck was that!?" I said.

"I don't know," said Mira.

Then Lisanna and Elfman came into the room looking very frightened.

"Mira! Willy! Did you guys hear that?" Lisanna asked trembling a little.

"It sounded like some kind of monster!" added Elfman fearfully.

Mira got up and gave her siblings a reassuring hug.

"It's OK you two," she said. "It was probably a wild animal or something."

I got up and walked over to the window and I couldn't help but widen my eyes in shock. There in the distance where the town was, a large pillar of smoke or dust was billowing out. Upon looking at that, memories of what happened in my previous home began to resurface in my mind causing me to be frozen in fear and in shock. This couldn't be happening... Was this another attack like before?

"No... no it can't be... not again... not again..."

"Willy? Willy? Willy! Wily!"

Mira's voice suddenly snapped me out of my frightened state.

"Are you OK? What's going on?"

I looked at Mira and then pointed out the window. When Mira saw what was happening, she had the same horror stricken look on her face.

"What... what is this?!" she murmured.

Then Elfman and Lisanna looked outside as well and they were shocked as well.

"What's going on here?" wondered Lisanna.

"Is… Osia under attack?" asked Elfman worriedly.

There was a long silence. Then suddenly I ran out of the room and out of the house.

"Willy! Where are you going?!" Mira called out.

"Come back!" cried Lisanna and Elfman.

I didn't listen. I kept on running. Then as soon as I was outside I sprouted my water wings and took off into the air heading towards the pillar of smoke.

"WATER DRAGON AQUA JET!"

Water gushed out of my feet shooting me like a rocket. As I flew above town I saw the people below running away from whatever destruction was going on. One thing was for sure, this was definitely like the time back when I was a kid when I lost my home. I could see old memories resurfacing in my head. Ones that I tried to forget but couldn't help but remember. I quickly shook those thoughts out of my mind and headed towards the pillar of smoke and dust.

"Things are different now," I said. "I have magic. So, I have the power to stop whatever comes my way. And if Master or Finn needs help, I'll be there to help them!"

Then I heard the sound of several explosions towards the direction where I was flying. I pumped up my legs and flew faster towards to where the scene of the fighting was. When I was close enough, I touched down on the ground and then looked around. There was rubble lying all around along with a few drag marks like something had dragged along the ground.

"Hello! Is anyone here?! Answer me!"

At first there was silence, then something came flying right past me out of nowhere and crashed right into a wall. I looked to see what it was, and my eyes widened. The thing was stood before me was a monster of some kind. It looked like one of those witch creatures you would see in a book. Its skin was thin showing some bone, has brown skinned with purple jewel like things all over its body and had a zombie like face with gleaming purple eyes.

"What the heck is that thing?!" I cried.

The monster looked at me and let out a screech and came straight at me. Just as I was expected to get hit by the creature, a familiar face jumped in between and clapped her hands together.

"TURTLE SHELL WALL!"

We were then surround by a barrier of water that looked like a turtle's shell. The monster hit the barrier trying to break through it, but the barrier held and Tu Chi forced it away. Tu Chi now stood in front of me. Her clothes a little ripped and tattered and I also saw that she had a couple cuts and scrapes but not too serious.

"Master! You saved me!"

"Willy! You must leave now!" said Tu Chi.

"What? But why?!"

"It's too dangerous for you here! Go! Now! This isn't an enemy you can defeat easily!"

"But Master I wanna help you!"

"No! I said go!"

The monster shrieked in anger at its opponent and then came at us, but Tu Chi slammed her hand to the ground and a spout of water came from it taking the form of a dragon. The water dragon snaked around the demon twisting around the monster making it immobilized. The demon shrieked in anger and struggled to break free, but the dragon held it tight in its grip.

"Incredible..." I murmured.

"Willy! Why are you standing there?! I told you to run!" yelled Tu Chi. "I won't be able to hold this demon forever! Leave now while I have a hold on it!"

"But... Master! I can't just leave you! Let me help you!" I cried.

"No! I won't allow it! Go! Now!"

Tu Chi looked at me wearing a look in the form of a glare but at the same time concerned for my safety. I know that she didn't want me to get involved in the fight, but I couldn't just stand by and do nothing. I had to help no matter how many times she told me to leave. The monster who she called a demon struggled and let out another ear-piercing shriek and then fired a beam of light at Tu Chi from its mouth. Tu Chi was now in a bind. If she released her grip on the dragon to dodge the beam the demon would be free, but if she kept her hold on it she would get hit. Luckily, she didn't have to worry about her choice much longer.

"Master look out!" I yelled. "WATER DRAGON ROAR!"

I jumped in front of the attack and unleashed my breath attack. The attacks collided and then canceled each other out causing a tremendous boom. The boom caused the dragon to release its hold on the demon allowing it to break free. The demon retreated and gained some distance not wanting to get caught again.

"Willy! I told you to..." began Tu Chi but I cut in interrupted her.

"Master! With all due respect, I understand that you don't want me getting involved in this, but you must let me help! I wanna fight with you! What was the point of teaching me if I wasn't going to use it?!" I yelled. "Especially since there are people that I care about in danger! Back in my village I lost everything! My home! My Mama! My Papa! And then after that I lost my second Mama! I lost so much so I don't wanna lose anyone else! Mira! Lisanna! Elfman! Sieri! Finn! And even you! I'm not gonna stand by and do nothing while everyone I love is in danger! So, I'm fighting with you whether you like it or not!"

Tu Chi stared at me a little surprised at me. Then a smile slowly worked its way from her lips and then she laughed.

"You idiot boy. You're just like Finn. One might think that you two are identical twins," she chuckled as she straightened up. "Both of you are stubborn as you are brave."

She then looked at the demon who was staring holes at us it's eyes gleaming. Then Tu Chi took her stance and summoned her bladed staff and I summoned my twin swords.

"Willy! Stay close and give it everything you got! Understood?"

"Yes Master!"

Then the two us dashed straight at the demon and the demon came at us with its claws raised letting out another beam from its mouth. The two of split up dodging the beam and then we jumped towards it and attacked. I swung my swords while Tu Chi attacked twirling her water staff and slashing and hitting it. The attacks seemed to be doing damage, but at the same it made the demon even more angry with us. It let out another ear-piercing shriek and to my surprise it extended its arms as if they were made of rubber.

Me and Tu Chi dodged them, but the arms swerved and came right back at us. We both dodged them began again. This went on for a few seconds before one of them came at me from behind. Tu Chi immediately saved me by swinging her staff down on the arm slicing it. The demon shrieked in pain holding its arm while it dripped with a strange purple substance. The demon hissed and growled in pain as it backed away from the two of us.

"We got it on the ropes Master!" I said branding my swords. "Let's finish it!"

The demon then fired a beam from its mouth hitting trees and houses alike causing dust and sand to swirl up like a smokescreen. We shielded our eyes as the dust temporarily blinded us. Then with a mighty wave of her staff, Tu Chi blew the dust away. When it cleared, the demon was nowhere to be seen.

"What the...! Where'd it go!?" I cried.

"Stay calm Willy." said Tu Chi. "It's trying to hide so it can attack us from the shadows. I can still sense its presence so be on guard!"

The two of us stood back to back looking all around being prepared to strike the moment the demon decided to attack us. There was a long suddenly something began to glow beneath us in a bright purple light and then before I had a chance to react, Tu Chi grabbed me and threw me aside. The light then turned into a magic circle and a barrier appeared trapping Tu Chi inside. Tu Chi swung her spear and tried to break out of the circle, but she couldn't

"Master! Are you OK?" I called.

"I'm fine but I can't get free of this circle!" said Tu Chi. "That demon just have used some kind of magic to trap me in this!"

"Hang on! I'll try to get you out!" I said as I swung my swords trying to break through the barrier.

As hard as I swung trying to help Tu Chi, my swords couldn't get through. Then I dispersed my swords and was about to try another spell when Tu Chi's voice stopped me.

"It's no use Willy! Don't waste your magic any more than you already have trying to break me free! Go after the demon!" she said.

"But what about you?"

"I'll be fine. You must go after that demon and stop it before it hurts someone! Go! Quickly!"

I looked at Tu Chi and I nodded. "All right! I'll be back for you Master!"

And so, I ran off leaving Tu Chi behind in search of the demon. I ran through town past the houses. Some were damaged, and some were not. I looked for anything that was a clue to where the demon went, but I couldn't see it anywhere. Then I used my Aqua Sense to try and sense it. I placed my hands on the ground and saw a blue wave in my mind go along the ground through town. Then I saw it. A purple form of energy was making its way through the town a few feet away from me. It was definitely the demon. It was heading right down somewhere a few yards away heading towards a building.

"Why would it go to a building?" I thought. "Why there of all places?"

I soon found out why. Just a few feet away, a single form of energy was coming right towards the demon. At first I didn't know who it was, but as soon as I read the energy, my eyes snapped open. I knew who it was.

"No... No! I gotta get there before it's too late!"

I immediately spread my wings, used Aqua Jet, and shot towards the direction where I sensed the demon praying that I would get there in time.

* * *

 **NO POV**

Meanwhile another person was making her way through town in search for Willy. That person was Mira. As she ran through town looking for him, she thought back to what happened before now.

 _Willy, Lisanna, Mira, and Elfman were looking out their window looking at what was going on. Then Willy all of a sudden bolted out of the room and out of the house._

 _"Willy! Where are you going?!" Mira called out._

 _"Come back!" cried Lisanna and Elfman._

 _The three of them ran out of the house in pursuit of Willy. They came outside in time to see Willy take off into the air and head right into town._

 _"Willy! Come back! Willy!" called Mira._

 _But it was too late. Willy had already disappeared into the distance._

 _"Where is he going?" asked Lisanna. "Why did Willy suddenly just take off like that?"_

 _"I don't know," said Elfman. "But I hope everything's OK."_

 _Mira stared into the distance of where Willy flew and then she looked at the bracelet he got for her. She then decided._

 _"Lisanna. Elfman. I'm going after Willy," she said._

 _The siblings looked at their elder sister in surprise._

 _"You can't go Mira!" said Elfman. "What if our village is being attacked? You can get hurt."_

 _"Yeah. It's too dangerous," added Lisanna._

 _"Don't worry. I'll be OK," said Mira giving her siblings a reassuring hug. "Besides, I'm not afraid of a little danger. Stay here and don't leave the house."_

 _And with that, Mira ran off towards town leaving her brother and sister watching her worriedly as she left._

"That idiot!" she muttered to herself. "Running off like that without giving us a reason. You better not be in danger Willy"

She continued to run until she came to the scene of the recent fight that Tu Chi had before she met up with Willy. The place was still devastated, and it was eerily quiet.

"Willy! Willy are you here?" called Mira. "Willy!"

No one answered. Then Mira happened to see the church whose doors were still open. She was hesitant to walk in, but she had to be sure that Willy was inside or not. So, she walked towards the church and looked inside. There was not a soul that could be heard inside. The inside was dark, and the cold wind blew giving Mira a little shiver.

"Willy? Are you in here?" Mira called looking around inside the church as she walked in.

Yet again no one answered. Suddenly the church doors shut behind her causing her to jump. She tried pulling them open, but they wouldn't bulge. Then heard a strange sound. The sound of breathing.

"Willy? Is... that you?" Mira asked trembling a little.

The only sound that answered her was the breathing noise. She slowly turned around and looked. Just then a hand shot out and grabbed Mira by the shirt and before Mira had a chance to react, she was flung across the church hitting the floor in a heap. She looked up and her eyes widened for what she saw. There stood a demon. It stared at her with its shining purple eyes hissing and staring at her.

It slowly made its way towards her extending its Mira immediately backed away from the creature being more frightened than she ever was before. She backed away until she was at the altar. There she bumped into the coffin where the demon was originally sealed. She screamed with fright jumping away from it and falling to the floor. The demon immediately pounced, jumping into the air and descending right at Mira. Mira screamed in terror closed her eyes and waited for the blow thinking it was the end for her, but the blow never came. Then she opened her eyes and gasped. There stood Willy who had blocked the demon's path using his Geyser Wall spell forcing the demon backwards.

* * *

 **WILLY'S POV**

I stood in front of Mira protecting her from the demon just before it attacked her. It was a good thing I got here in time, otherwise Mira would have gotten hurt.

"Mira are you OK?" I asked.

"I... I guess so," said Mira as I help her to her feet.

I was gonna ask why she was here, but now wasn't the time. I had to get her out of the church before the demon has a chance to recover and attack us again. At least that way I would be able to fight it out of the opening.

"Come on. Let's go! We have to get out of here before it recovers!"

"Um... right!"

The two of us ran towards the doors trying to make our escape, but then the demon shrieked and was back on its feet. The demon saw us trying to get out of the church and chased after us, but we kept on running. The demon was gonna catch us eventually, so I turned around and got ready to fight.

"Willy?! What are you doing?!" cried Mira.

"Keep going Mira!" I said. "I'll hold this thing off while you escape! Now run!"

I jumped at the demon and went for a Water Dragon Talon, but the demon anticipated my attack and caught it with its hand and threw me away, but I was able land on my feet and attack again with an Iron Fist. The demon hissed and blocked it with its arm and then swiped at me in the face with its claw. I managed to dodge it if not barely, but the claw scraped my cheek. I raised my hand and a water shuriken appeared on my hand. I attempted to throw it, but the demon quickly swiped at my arm with its superior speed. I screamed in pain as the blood was gushed out of my ripped skin. The demon then gave me a kick sending me flying across the ground until I slammed into a wall.

I struggled to my feet feeling pain throughout my entire body. Especially at my arm which now had four gashes across it oozing with blood. The demon hissed pleased seeing that it spilled my blood and crept toward me. I then placed my hand on my arm and started casting my healing spell. I didn't have enough time nor the magic to use a full spell, so I was able to stop the bleeding and close the wound. The demon grew closer and then suddenly...

"Stop! Leave him alone!"

Then Mira stepped in front of me with her arms spread wide shielding me.

"Mira! What the heck are you doing!?" I yelled. "I told you to get out of here and run!"

"I'm not leaving you!" Mira yelled back. "No... I absolutely refuse to leave you!"

"Just listen to me Mira! Just go! Just leave and..."

"I'm not leaving you!" yelled Mira refusing to move. "Didn't you tell me that we're friends and you would help me, and I would help you? Well I'm gonna help you whether you like it or not! I already lost my parents... and I don't wanna lose anyone else! I may not have magic power like you, but... I will protect you! No matter what!"

I stared at Mira's back feeling a bit moved. Then I saw something above her. It was a claw from the demon who was stretching out its arms again. What happened next appeared to be in slow motion. The claw was heading right for Mira and she didn't move. I immediately got up and pushed her out of the way, the next moment I felt something pierce my side going through me. I slowly looked down and I saw that the demon's claw had stabbed right into me. I felt the blood ooze onto my clothes and onto the floor making a puddle. I stood there in shock the pain not registering in my mind. Then I felt my eyes get heavy and then everything went black...

* * *

 **NO POV**

Mira looked up from the floor having been pushed down and her eyes widened once again even more so than ever before. Willy stood in front of her the demon's claw embedded in his midsection with blood dripping from his wound. The demon then retracted her claw and Willy fell to the floor. Mira stared at Willy's body horror stricken.

"Willy... No... Willy... you can't be... please no... Willy!"

She rushed to his side shaking him trying to get him to wake up.

"Willy! Willy! Willy! Please! Come on! Wake up! You can't be gone! Willy! Willy!" cried Mira as her eyes welled up in tears.

Willy didn't respond. The demon then shrieked having to have claimed its first kill. It then headed towards Mira hoping to kill her next. Mira kept staring at Willy's lifeless body her tears now flowing down her face. The demon eventually was right in front of Mira and was preparing to strike her raising its claw.

"How dare you..." murmured Mira. "How dare you… You monster..."

Mira was now trembling, but it wasn't out of fear. She was now trembling with rage. The demon then swung down its claw and then...it happened.

"HOW DARE YOU!"

As Mira screamed out in anguish and rage as power exploded from her body causing the demon to step back a little. The light grew brighter and brighter and soon over took the demon enveloping the entire church.

* * *

 **WILLY'S POV**

I slowly opened my eyes in response to a loud scream and a very bright light. I slowly got up and looked around.

"What... what happened?" I wondered.

As I got up, I held my bleeding hip trying to stop the bleeding. I realized something. As I looked around, I didn't see Mira anywhere.

"Mira? Mira! Where are you?!" I yelled.

Then I saw something in front of me. Upon looking I saw that it was the demon I immediately thought the worst, but then the demon turned around at me. It still looked the same as it did before, but then something looked familiar about it. Then my eyes widened and realized why. I noticed that the demon had gone through a few changes. Its hair had now turned completely white and I saw it wearing a bracelet and it wasn't any bracelet. It was the bracelet that I gave to Mira.

"No...it can't be..." I murmured.

I raised my hand and used my Aqua Sense to sense the demon's magic energy and to my surprise, the demon's magic power was different. Instead of a single color, the demon's purple and blue just like a person's. I also was not only sensing the demon's magic, but I was also sensing Mira's as well. I didn't know how or why this happened, but somehow Mira and the demon had become one in the same.

"Mira... is that you...?" I asked tentatively.

The demon who I thought was Mira looked at me and then let out a shriek letting loose a powerful beam from its mouth. I jumped out of the way dodging the attack.

"Mira! Snap out of it! It's me Willy! I'm OK!" I yelled.

The demon/Mira didn't listen. She fired another beam, but she completely missed and began firing multiple beams in all directions. The beams shot all around everywhere blasting holes all around the church. At the rate this was going, the whole church was going to go down.

"Mira stop this! You have to snap out of it! Otherwise the whole church is gonna go down!" I yelled.

Again, the demon/Mira wouldn't listen, she let out a shriek and kept firing beams. I had to get her to snap out of it somehow. I couldn't just hit her outright leaving me with choosing another option. I had to try reasoning with her.

"Mira! Listen to me! You don't wanna do this! I don't know how you and the demon fused together but if you keep doing this at this rate, you're gonna destroy everything! You're gonna let that demon hurt everyone we care through you including your brother and sister!"

The demon/Mira suddenly stopped and turned to look at me. It was working.

"Listen to my voice Mira! I made a promise to you! A promise to protect you no matter what! A promise to protect your siblings! And most of all I made a promise to be your friend! And I'm not about to lose a friend to some lousy demon!"

I ran straight for her. The demon/Mira stretched her arms and flung them at me her claws extended, but I dodged them and jumped up right above the creature and stretched out my good arm towards her. The demon/Mira opened its mouth and prepared to fire another beam aimed directly at me.

"Come back to your senses! MIRA!" I screamed as I fell right towards her.

At this point I don't know if it was because of the adrenaline, but I felt something throughout my body. A hot feeling through my veins that grew more and more like a geyser about to erupt. The light from the demon/Mira grew brighter and brighter about to fire the beam overtaking my vision and everything went dark.

* * *

 **NO POV**

Outside of the purple light glowing church, Tu Chi who had finally broken free from the demon's barrier had just arrived at the church to go help Willy. She prayed that she got there in time to help him. Then the light dimmed down, and Tu Chi went inside. The inside was completely ripped apart and destroyed with holes everywhere. The church looked like it was on the brink of collapsing, but miraculously it held. As she looked inside she saw them. Two unconscious kids were lying on the floor. Tu Chi quickly rushed over and checked them. One was Willy who had a nasty wound on his side bleeding and the other was Mira who was lying next to him unharmed, but Tu Chi saw that her right arm had changed. It looked just like the demon's arm. She looked around trying to find the demon, but it was nowhere to be seen. Then suddenly she heard the sound of flapping and then the sound of footsteps. She turned around to find Finn running to the scene with Jade flying down.

"Master! Thank goodness! Is everything OK?"

Then he saw Willy and Mira making his face pale.

"My god! Willy! Mira! No! Are they-"

"They're fine Finn," interrupted Tu Chi. "They're just unconscious, but we should treat their wounds right away. You take Mira while I get Willy."

"Right," said Finn and he lifted Mira in his arms.

"A-a demon!"

Tu Chi and Finn immediately snapped up to find a group of villagers standing outside of the door. Some pointed at them and some looked at them with fear. At first, Finn didn't get why they were acting the way they were, but then he saw Mira's arm. Before Finn could say anything they all ran off.

"What the heck..." said Finn. "Master what's going on here?"

"I do not know Finn, but we must get these two treated. We'll take them to the Strauss residence."

"Huh? But can't we just treat them over at the clinic?" asked Finn.

"No. Something's telling me that the clinic may be a bad idea," said Tu Chi. "We're taking them to the Strauss residence. Come."

"Right."

And so, Finn and Tu Chi left the church. But inside the church someone stepped out of the shadows and watched then leave. The person turned out to be the man with the skull staff. He had seen everything that had transpired. As soon as he was alone, he stepped out and he chuckled.

"Interesting... Very Interesting indeed," he said as he disappeared into the wind.

* * *

 _Whew! Well that was super long! To be honest, I was worried that this was bad, but I personally liked writing this chapter._

 _Anyhoo, if you liked what you read or wanna give me some reviews/pointers, don't be shy to give me a review._

 _Dragoman out!_


	26. Chapter 26 Departure

_Hello everyone! Here's update! So far this story has 54 favs and 64 followers. It's not much, but it means a lot to me. Thanks a bunch! As a way for saying thanks, here's the next chapter! Enjoy!_

 ** _BOLD AND ITALIC stand for flash back_**

* * *

Chapter 26

Departure

 **WILLY'S POV**

When I became aware again, I was lying on a mat staring at a ceiling. I looked at my side my entire body feeling heavy and slightly hot. I sat up rubbing my head. I noticed that my shirt had been taken off and I had some scars on my side meaning that some had take care of me. I looked around and the first thing I saw was a very familiar face. Jade was sitting on her perch as keeping watch over me like a guardian. I also saw that I was in a room with a tatami flooring and shoji doors meaning that I must have been carried to the temple. The moment Jade saw me awake, she flew towards me and nuzzled against my cheek with her head.

"Hey there Jade," I murmured stroking her head. "It's nice to see you too."

I was relieved that I was alive and in the temple, but I was also confused as too how I got here in the first place. The only thing that I remember was fighting that demon. Then after that I saved Mira and then...

"Wait a second... Mira!"

My heart leaped upon remembering Mira. The demon made an attempt to try and kill her, but I managed to save her. Then I tried fighting it off, but it caught me off guard by wounding me. After that I blacked out and regained consciousness to find that somehow Mira and the demon became one and went berserk almost destroying the church. I can't remember anything after that. That made me worry about Mira. Was she OK? Was I able to stop her from her rampage? If I did, how was I able to stop her? The only thing I remember was when she was about to fire that beam at me.

Just then, the shoji door opened and in stepped Finn along with Tu Chi. When Finn saw that I was awake, a smile of relief crossed his face and he immediately embraced me in a hug while Tu Chi stepped in smiling looking relieved as well.

"Willy! Thank goodness you're finally awake!" he said. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine Finn. Really," I replied. "What... what happened? How did I get here?"

"We carried you to the temple," said Tu Chi. "You along with Mira were unconscious on the ground. After that while you were unconscious, you developed a high fever. You were unconscious from a couple of days."

"Wait... where's Mira?!" I asked feeling worried. "Is she OK? Is she hurt?! Is she alive?!"

Finn and Tu Chi looked at each other and both of them had complicated expressions on the faces as if they were holding back some bad news. I began to get a gut wrenching feeling in my stomach.

"No...please... don't tell me that... she's..."

"She's fine Willy," Tu Chi immediately cut in. "She's alive and well if that's what you're thinking."

I let out a sigh of relief upon hearing that and the feeling in my gut lessened. "Thank goodness."

"However... there's a bit of a problem," said Finn. "A problem regarding Mira. She's... developed some kind of condition."

"What do you mean?" I asked. "Is she sick or something?"

Tu Chi and Finn looked at each other and then Tu Chi walked over and then sat in front of me.

"Willy. Do you remember anything that has happened? Anything at all?" she asked.

I thought back remembering up to the point where I blacked out from the light. I shook my head.

"Then let me tell you what's going on," said Tu Chi. "But I should warn you, you might not like what has happened to the Strauss siblings. Are you sure you want me to tell you everything?"

"Yes Tu Chi," I said. "Please tell me. What happened?"

Tu Chi was silent, then she slowly opened her eyes with a grave look on her face. "Very well. I will explain everything that has happened which might I add a lot."

* * *

NO POV

Outside of the village at the Strauss sibling's house, a major situation was happening. Dozens of villagers were standing outside of the Strauss family's home shouting angrily, some of which carried sickles and pitchforks and other weapons. Inside the house, Lisanna stayed huddled up next to Mira who was now wearing a black cloak while Elfman stood looking at the floor unsure of what to do. They were trying their best to ignore the angry mob, but the villagers cruel shouting could be heard no mater how hard they ignored.

"Get of here demon!"

"Creatures like you don't belong here!"

"You and your family are better off dead!"

"Get out now!"

"We don't want you here!"

Suddenly a rock came flying in the house breaking a window and smacked Mira right on the side of her head making her yelp in pain a little.

"Oh no! Mira are you OK?" asked Lisanna.

Mira answered with a nod. "I'm sorry," she said sadly. "It's all my fault."

"No it's not!" said Elfman indignantly. "None of this was your fault!"

"Yes it is. I brought this on myself the moment I decided to go that church to look for Willy. If only I had stayed away from that church... none of this would be happening."

She uncovered her cloak revealing her arm which was now just like the demon's. It was brown running up to her arm and had purple jewel like things on it.

"Then I wouldn't have this awful curse..."

Lisanna and Elfman looked at their sister with worry as she stared at her arm with regret and guilt.

"Get out of here demon!"

"You're asking for trouble now!"

"Leave now or we'll make you leave!"

"Filthy demon!"

"She's possessed by the demon, it's only a matter of time before she kills us all!"

As the villagers screams continued, Mira put her head between her legs and put her hands to her head her eyes shutting tight trying to shut out all of the things the villagers were calling her, but she could still hear them. Then Lisanna walked up to the window wearing an angry snarl on her face.

"No! Lisanna don't!" said Elfman knowing what she was going to do.

But then Lisanna opened the window and the villagers stopped yelling. Lisanna glared at all of them before her eyes filled up with tears.

"My sister is the one who got rid of the demon at the church!" she yelled. "She was the only one brave enough to risk her life to protect the village and her friend! How could you all treat her like this!? The only reason why she got like this was because she was trying to save Willy and because she wanted to help! It's not her fault! None of it!"

Mira and Elfman looked at Lisanna moved by her for standing up for Mira. Mira especially. Lisanna then sank to her knees buried her hands in her face and began to cry. Mira got up and went over to Lisanna comforting her by putting a hand on her shoulder.

"It's OK Lisanna. Don't cry," she said.

Then Elfman began to cry too.

"Oh Elfman not you too. There's no reasons to cry," said Mira gently.

Then they heard one of the villages yell.

"Enough of this! I say we barge into the house and then kill that demon!"

The villagers yelled in agreement which made Mira's eyes widen in horror. If they barged in here, they would definitely kill her and her siblings. She braced herself hugging Lisanna and prepared to fight.

* * *

WILLY'S POV

I flew above in air heading straight for the Strauss siblings house, as fast as my wings and my Aqua Jet would let me thinking back to what Tu Chi had just told me.

 ** _"Let me begin from the beginning," said Tu Chi. "Back when we found you, you were in bad condition and you weren't the one. Something was wrong with Mira as well."_**

 ** _"What was it?" I asked._**

 ** _"For some reason her arm had a sudden change in appearance," said Tu Chi. "Her arm looked just like the demon that was unsealed."_**

 ** _"What?"_**

 ** _"It's true," said Finn. "We both saw it with our own two eyes. We didn't know what to make of it. To make things worse, some of the villagers saw what had happened and because of that, they're calling her a demon and... and..."  
_**

 ** _Finn trailed off not finishing his sentence which made me look at him._**

 ** _"And what? Tell me."_**

 ** _"I'm afraid that it's something horrible Willy," said Tu Chi. "For the past couple days while you were unconscious. The villagers have become blind to fear and anger and are attacking the Strauss siblings trying to drive them out of town."_**

 ** _"What?!"_**

 ** _I immediately sprang to my feet hearing what Tu Chi said._**

 ** _"It's true," said Finn. "They turned them away from buying supplies and other things. Even the kids are treating them horribly for what had happened. Me and Sieri tried to help by giving them what they need and by reasoning with them, but they either turned us away or won't listen. I wouldn't be surprised if they were over at the Strauss' place right now."_**

 ** _My face paled and I felt my heart freeze from shock. I then bolted out of the door and ran out of the room, but before I could leave Finn grabbed my shoulder stopping me.  
_**

 ** _"Willy stop! Where are you going?!" he demanded._**

 ** _"What do you think?! I'm heading for the Strauss' place!"_**

 ** _"Wait a minute! You can't go over there! Especially in your condition!" said Finn firmly._**

 ** _"But I have to!" I said. "What if Mira and the others are in trouble?! I have to go over there and make sure that they're OK! I promised that I'd look out for them!"_**

 ** _I squirmed got out of Finn's grasp and ran out of the temple and took flight into the air._**

"I have to hurry!" I thought to myself. "Who knows how long Mira and the others have been suffering. Please! Please be OK guys! I'm coming!"

Soon I could see the Strauss' sibling's house in sight, but that wasn't the only thing I saw. I could see a large crowd of villagers standing outside of the house shouting angrily. They were also holding weapons in the forms of pitchforks, sickles, and even garden hoes.

"My god!" I murmured. "What in the heck are they doing?!"

Then I saw something that made my heart stop and my eyes widen in shock. One of the villagers had came in carrying a torch in his hand.

"Let's see if that demon will come out with this!" he said. "If we can't make them come out, we'll smoke them out!"

Upon seeing that torch in his hand, I had a flashback to my early childhood says back when I lost my home. I remembered the hot flames that burned the houses destroying everything is sight. I felt so helpless back then. Helpless and weak for being unable to protect my home and my family. From the way things were going, it looked like that traumatic experience was going to happen again right in front of me.

"No... no... no! Not again! I'm not gonna let it happen again! I'm not gonna stand around and do nothing!"

I swooped down and dive-bombed straight at the villagers. The villager with the torch raised it and got ready to set the Strauss' family's house on fire. I swooped by and knocked the torch of his hand making it fall to the ground.

"What the...!"

I then landed in front of the house standing between it and the villagers. I then used Water Star and used it to put out the fire before it started to spread. The villagers stood there in a mixture of anger and surprise on their faces.

"Hey! It's that Willy kid!"

"He put out the torch!"

The villager that had the torch looked at me in an angry snarl.

"Just what do you think you're doing?!" he yelled.

"I should be asking you that!" I yelled back. "Just what do you think you're doing setting fire to this house?! Don't you know that my friends live here?!"

"Friends!? Do you mean to say that you're friends with that demon?!" the man demanded.

"Yes she is! And she's not a demon! She's a girl named Mirajane Strauss!" I said. "And if anyone messes with my friends, they're messing with me!"

"That boy's in league with that demon! He said it himself!"

"That makes him our enemy too!"

"Get em! That boy's being controlled by the demon's influence!"

Some of the villagers with came up and pointed their pitchforks at me, but I stood my ground not moving and not intimidated.

"I'm only gonna tell you all this one time," I said. "Leave my friends and this house alone or else I'm going to have to force you to leave and I don't wanna do that unless I absolutely have to!"

"You can't threaten us!" said the former torch man. "That demon's must have used magic to control this boy!"

"Yeah! He's a servant of the demon and now she's using him against us!"

"Let's get him and make an example of him for the demon!"

"Yeah! To show him that we won't be intimated by it's tactics!"

The villagers with the pitchforks got ready to attack me with their pitchforks raised, but I summoned my water sword and gave a quick slash towards them. At first there was silence, but then the villager's pitchforks became sliced and diced like they were butter becoming piles of wood and metal. The villagers look at the piles in shock and then back to me holding my sword. I gave the villagers a threatening glare.

"I gave you one chance to walk away," I said. "If you won't leave, then I'm just gonna have to make you leave!"

I flared up my magic power and I began to glow with magic power. Normally my magic power glow was colored blue, but this time instead of that I started glowing blue with slight tinges of black. But I didn't see this nor did I notice yet. I chuffed out my cheeks and released my breath attack.

"WATER DRAGON ROAR!"

I unleashed my breath attack and shot it towards the villagers. You know how my aura changed color? I didn't realize it yet, but the color of my breath attack was also different. It was blue, but at the same time it was black as well. My breath attack washed all over the villagers like a wave sweeping them away. The villagers were blasted quite a distance away scattered every where also on the ground and soaking wet. This puzzled me. I meant to hold back on my breath attack, but for some reason it was more forceful than I thought. Not to mention for some reason I felt a little weak. Thinking that I was still feeling my fever, I quickly shook that thought out of my mind and I yelled out to the villagers.

"Now get out of here! I don't wanna have to do that again! If I find out you all are picking on my friends again, I'll do a lot more than just blast you with water!"

The villagers got up and looked at me. Some looked frightened and some looked angry, but they all ran away back into the village like a bunch of scared rabbits. As soon as I saw that they were out of sight I let out a sigh of relief having to have saved the Strauss' home, but I still felt puzzled for what had just happened.

"I meant to hold back, but... why was my roar that strong?" I thought to myself. "Was it because of how strong I gotten and I don't know my own strength?"

"Willy! Is...that you?"

Hearing the voice, I snapped out of my thoughts and turned around to find that Elfman and Lisanna were out of the house staring at me as if I was a ghost. As soon as I saw them I smiled with relief.

"Yes. It's me," I said. "Sorry it took me so long to get here Lisanna. Elfman."

Then Lisanna started crying again as did Elfman, but their tears were ones with joy mixed with sadness. They ran out of the house and embraced me in a hug. I embraced them happy to see them again.

"We were so worried about you!" wept Lisanna.

"We thought that you would never wake up!" cried Elfman.

"It's OK," I said. "I'm fine. Really. There was no reason to worry. I just got knocked out. That's all. Are you guys OK? Well...other than what has happened and all."

"We're OK, but... I wish we could say the same for Mira," said Elfman.

"Those awful villagers have been at it with us for the past view days and they keep calling Mira a demon all because of what happened to her arm!" said Lisanna. "It's not her fault!"

"I know Lisanna. I know," I said to Lisanna petting her head. "It's OK. So is Mira inside?"

"Yeah," said Elfman. "But...I don't if she wants to see you or not. She still blames herself for what happened to you."

I looked at Elfman and Lisanna and then at the house. Then I straightened up.

"Don't worry. I'll talk to her," I said as I walked towards the house.

I had just walked in the house when all of a sudden, I began to feel a little feverish. Like my body had gotten hotter. It wasn't overwhelming or anything, but I just felt a little feverish. However I decided to ignore it and went inside to look for Mira.

"Mira? Mira where are you?" I called out.

I looked by the window in the living room and I didn't see her. I looked in the kitchen and I still didn't see her. Then I looked in the corner of the room near the doorway and I saw her. She was wearing a black cloak covering her entire body her face turned to the floor.

"Mira... there you are..." I said walking towards her.

"Stay away!" Mira suddenly snapped.

I stopped startled hearing her yell.

"Just stay away from me... I'm a monster... A freak! No... I"m a demon... just as the villagers said..."

"That's not true," I said. "You're not a monster, or a freak, or a demon."

"How the hell do you know?!" yelled Mira snapping her head up at me revealing her tear stained face her eyes filled with anger and despair. "What? You think I'm normal even if my arm is like this?!"

She then revealed her arm that was mutated which made my eyes widen a little. Her arm looked exactly like the demon I fought. I could see why the villagers acted the way they did.

"It disgusts you doesn't?" Mira spat. "The moment people saw this... thing... they called me a monster. A demon. They turned me away and treated me like crap. They even threatened to kill me and my siblings. So... don't deny it... I'm a freak and you know it. Don't lie to me."

There was a long silence. Then I walked towards her and embraced her in a hug making her eyes wide widen.

"I'll say it again. You're not a monster nor are you a freak or a demon," I said quietly but strongly. "You're Mirajane Strauss. A thirteen year old girl who has a brother named Elfman and a sister named Lisanna. You're also my friend and no matter what those people say about you, there's nothing they can say that can tell me different."

Mira was frozen. Then she returned my embrace and buried her face in my chest.

"Willy... Thank you... thank you..."

I smiled and hugged her tighter. "It's alright. What are friends for?"

Mira pulled away and wiped her tears. "I was so scared. I was scared that you would never wake up again, but I guess I was worried for nothing."

I smiled. "You had every right to worry. I'm only sorry that I didn't wake up sooner."

"It's not your fault Willy," said Lisanna. "You were hurt pretty bad."

"Yeah. I guess Tu Chi wasn't kidding when she told me what was going on," I said looking around the house.

"Yeah. The villagers keep showing up here trying to drive us away," said Elfman. "And I think it might be working."

"Why do you say that?" I asked.

The siblings were silent. Then Mira spoke quietly.

"I think it's obvious Willy," said Mira. "With everything that's happened, I think the only option we have is... well...we're just gonna have to find a new place to live."

My eyes widened a little. "What? Leave?!"

"I'm sorry Willy, but there's no other option left."

"But... but... you can't just leave! Surely there's a way for you all to stay without worrying about those villagers!"

"I wish there was, but I agree with Mira," said Elfman. "With the way things are, there's no way we can survive let alone live here any longer. We have no choice."

"But... how are you three gonna be able to survive on your own?" I asked worriedly.

"We don't know," said Mira. "But... we got no choice. We're just gonna have to find a new place to live."

"In that case, I'm coming with you," I said almost defiantly. "There's no way I'm gonna leave you guys alone out there."

"Willy. You don't have to," said Mira. "We don't want you to get dragged down with us. Especially since you live here too."

"Actually... I may have no choice," I said. "Because of that stunt I pulled trying to protect you guys, I think the villagers might hate me too. They thought that I was being controlled by Mira or something."

"Seriously?!" said Elfman and Lisanna who were clearly surprised.

"Yeah. And so... I think it would be best if I go with you. I don't want Finn and Sieri getting involved with all of this. Besides, I have been meaning to leave Osia to go find some information about Aquadia. Eventually."

"But...are you sure that Finn and your master are gonna be OK with that?" asked Elfman. "I mean you two may not be related, but he's like a dad to you."

"It'll be fine," I said. "Besides they've already done so much for me. I don't want to give them any more trouble. Let's just hope that they understand."

I soon discovered that indeed they did. Finn and Sieri at first were a bit reluctant to let me go, but they understood. Tu Chi however understood completely. She believed that I was more than capable of handling myself. After all I am a pretty strong wizard. And soon after, me and the Strauss siblings then packed a couple necessities we needed. We said goodbye to our three friends and we soon left the village. As we were about to leave, I couldn't help but look back at the village. I could see Finn, Tu Chi, and Sieri standing there waving goodbye. Sieri was shedding a couple tears, but she had a smile on her face trying to be happy. Finn had a neutral expression, but he gave me a smile and waved as well. Tu Chi was smiling all the way. She waved her staff giving me her goodbyes as well. As I looked at them, I couldn't help feel like wanting to stay, but I quickly put that thought of out my head. I smiled back and waved them one final goodbye and then me along with the Strauss siblings left Osia.

* * *

 _Now we're finally getting to the next part of the story. FYI just so we're clear, this story is gonna be completely different than any other fanfiction with OC dragon slayers. Look forward to it!_

 _Anyhoo if you have any questions or liked what you read, don't be afraid to ask me or give me a review!_

 _Until then... Dragoman out!_


	27. Chapter 27 Magnolia

_Here's the next chapter for you guys! Enjoy and happy reading!_

* * *

Chapter 27

Magnolia

For the next hour or so, we walked along the road onward towards who knows where. We walked past a small desert and were now hiking up a mountain. We just so happened to see Osia. From where we were standing, it was a great view. It was a shame that we would never see it again. We gazed at it one last time burning the image in our eyes.

"It looks so small from up here," said Elfman. "It's a nice view, if only we weren't leaving under our circumstances."

"It's OK Elfman," said Lisanna. "Forget all about that place now. We'll find somewhere better to live."

"She's right," I said. "Things will be better Elfman. Don't worry."

Mira said nothing staring at the town. She gazed at it and then she started walking again.

"Let's go," she said quietly.

The three of us then followed suit close behind her. As we followed, I looked back one last time at the place of where I once called home. I remembered all the times I had. The good memories I made. I couldn't help but think how much I was gonna miss living there. Most of all, I was gonna miss the friends I made. Tu Chi, Finn, and Sieri mostly. However, I turned away and started walking again.

"Goodbye Finn. Goodbye Tu Chi. Goodbye Master Tu Chi," I thought to myself. "I don't know if I'll see you guys again, but someday... I hope to see you all again...take care."

And then I followed the Strauss siblings leaving Osia behind us for good.

* * *

We walked, and we walked, and we walked some more. We walked past valleys, forests, and even the shores of various beaches. Once every now and again, we passed by a couple travelers who happened to be walking by either going about their own business or needing help. At first, they were friendly, but when they saw Mira and her transformed hand, they were look at us like we were a band of monsters with fear or disgust and walk away. It was to be expected, so we just kept on walking.

Eventually, we came into a forest with the sun setting over the horizon signaling that another day was coming close to an end. We decided to rest and sleep for the night. I managed to make a fire for us to keep us warm and I caught a couple fish, so we could have something to eat. After we ate, we all went to bed. Mira, Lisanna, and Elfman went to sleep while I stayed up a little keeping watch, so we wouldn't be attacked by some strange animal.

As I kept watch over them, I stared up into the sky. It was dark with the stars twinkling and a crescent moon to go with it. I let my mind wonder thinking about what our next move should be. We didn't exactly have a location as to where we should go. We were pretty much wandering around trying to find another place to live. It really didn't occur to me where we were going or what we were going to. I touched my necklace touching the stone.

"Mama... what would you do in a situation like this?" I wondered to myself.

Then I looked back at the fire, I noticed that someone was awake sitting by the fire. That someone was Mira. She was sitting by the fire staring sadly into it. She uncovered her cloak revealing her demon hand. As she stared at it, her sad look slowly changed into one of anger and sadness as if she was cursing herself for having her hand the way it was. Her eyes them started to well up with tears and she began to cry sobbing quietly. Hearing her made me come back to the fire.

"Mira... are you OK?" I asked.

Mira hurriedly wiped her tears trying to make it look like she wasn't crying.

"I'm fine... I just couldn't sleep that's all," she said.

"Mira you don't have to lie you know," I said gently sitting next to her. "You have the right to cry."

"I wasn't crying," said Mira looking away.

"Yes you were. I heard you from where I was standing," I said. "Besides you don't have to be strong for me and your siblings' sake. My Mama once told me that those who cry are not weak. It's because that they've been strong for too long and clearly you've been strong for a long time now."

Mira said nothing. Then I wrapped my arms around her and embraced her in a tender and tight hug.

"It's OK. You can cry," I said quietly.

Mira was frozen for a moment then she wrapped her arms around me and buried into my shoulder and began to cry again. This time she let the floodgates open and began cry without any restraint, but quietly enough so that Lisanna and Elfman wouldn't her hear. I kept embracing her and petted her head soothing her like a father with his child or in this case a brother with her sister.

* * *

After we got some sleep, we were off on the road again. We continued to walk aimlessly without having any idea of where we should go. Sometimes we got caught up in the weather, so we took shelter under trees or abandoned house. The rain was a good way to replenish my magic power since I was the only one so far that knew magic although it was a little bland for rainwater.

I didn't know how long or how many days we walked, but eventually we came into a large town. It was certainly bigger than any other town I've seen before or been to. The town had a bit of a western look mostly like the medieval times I read in my story books when I was little. There were also lots of people walking around going about their daily lives. One thing was for sure, this town definitely looked better than Osia. Way better.

"Wow... I wonder where we are?" I wondered out loud.

"I don't know," said Elfman. "But this place looks nice."

"I know. It is. Not to mention that the people look so happy here," said Lisanna. "Right Mira?"

Mira didn't say anything, but she answered with a small smile. At least it meant that she liked this place too. I came up to a man who was walking by.

"Excuse me sir, but can you tell me the name of this town?" I asked. "Me and my friends a new here."

The man smiled kindly. "Of course. This town is called Magnolia. One of the most prosperous towns in Fiore well known for it's magic."

"Magic huh?"

"Yes. This town is loaded with people and wizards and we even have a guild here."

Upon hearing that, I suddenly had an idea. If there was a guild here, then maybe there was a wizard that can figure out something about Mira's arm and cure her.

"Well in any case, thank you very much sir. I appreciate it."

"Anytime son."

We walked around in town for a little while taking in everything that Magnolia had to offer. Then we happened to look inside one of the buildings. Inside we saw four kids that were probably around Elfman's age. Two boys and two girls. One of the girls was a brunette having her hair in a ponytail with long bangs at the side wearing an orange dress. The other had blue hair that was as long as her shoulders with yellow shirt and brown skirt. For the boys, one had black spiky hair and wearing nothing but a pair of shorts and had a strange blue symbol on his right pec. The other boy had spiky pink hair with a red long-sleeved shirt with yellow shorts and a long white scarf around his neck. From the looks of things, they were all talking about something having a good time.

"Well hello there. Is there something that you kids need?"

The four turned to the voice that suddenly spoke to us and there standing next to us was an old man. He was short, had a long white mustache with hair coming out from the rims of his head to match, wore an amber green shirt with a black coat, and was holding a wooden staff with a pink stone with a black smiley face on it.

"Oh sorry about that sir," said Elfman. "We were just passing through."

"Why don't you kids go in?" said the old man. "You all seem like you have been through a long journey. You can stay here for a while and rest up."

The four of us looked at each other. Then we decided to take up on the old man's offer and went inside. When we came in, the inside seemed to be bustling with people inside. Everyone seemed so happy and cheerful merrily going about their way either chatting, drinking beer, and showing off their magic. There was also a request board just like the one we had back in Osia. Only this one was a lot bigger and had a lot more request papers. Me and the Strauss siblings looked around in surprise and awe.

Then the four kids who we saw before came up and greeted the old man warmly.

"Hey there master. How's it going?" asked the brunette girl.

"I'm just fine Cana," said the old man. "Thank you for asking."

"Who are those four?" asked the kid with black hair. "Are they new members or something?"

"Who knows?" said the old man. "Maybe they are. I just brought them in because they came from a long journey is all. Figured they could take this time to rest up."

"They certainly don't look like any people I've seen in town before," said the blue haired girl.

Then suddenly the pink haired boy came up to me. He looked at me up and down looking at me suspiciously.

"Um... is something wrong?" I asked.

The pink haired boy looked at me and sniffed at me like he was checking my scent. "You smell like fish."

That made everyone look at the boy like he just said something offensive.

"Natsu! What the heck are you doing?!" said the spikey black kid. "What are you a bloodhound?!"

"Well he does," said the pink haired kid. "He smells like a ton of fish."

"Well that doesn't mean that you have to be rude and say it to his face like that," said the blue haired girl. "You're being rude."

"Please excuse him," said the spiky black-haired kid. "He's always been a bit of a brainless moron. Don't worry. The rest of us are normal unlike him."

"It's no big deal," I said. "I do eat a lot of fish, so it's only natural that I smell like one."

"But... Gray? You're just as abnormal as Natsu is you know," said the brunette.

"Oh? And how is that Cana?"

"Your clothes?"

As the brunette pointed to the boy with spiky hair's shorts which turned out to be boxers, the boy looked down and his eyes went wide.

"What the heck?! When did that happen?!" the boy yelped.

"Ha! Now who's the brainless moron you pervy flasher!" sneered the pink haired kid.

"What was that!? If you got a problem pinky, then say it to my face!" snarled the spiky back haired kid getting in the pink haired kids face.

"I think we both know you heard me you big mouthed streaker!" the pink haired kid shot back grinding his face right into the spiky hair kid's.

The two of them then started to fight like a pair of dogs. The four of us just stared at the two of them as they went at it looking completely shocked.

"Please don't mind them," said the brunette. "Natsu and Gray have always butted heads ever since they first met."

"No kidding," said the blue haired girl.

Me, Lisanna, and Elfman continued to watch the boys named Natsu and Gray kept going at it with each other. Mira on the other hand stayed silent pretending not to notice. Just then another girl came up. She looked to be about Mira's age, wore armor on her upper body with wore a white skirt and a sword, and had brilliant scarlet hair in a braid.

"Natsu! Gray! Are you two fighting again?!" she barked.

She stepped in the middle of their fight and then gave them both a hard push right on top of their heads resulting them both separating making both of the necks give sharp crack as their necks popped their heads turning to the side.

"Yowch... that looked like it hurt," mumbled Elfman.

"I think it did," said Lisanna.

"How many times do I have to tell you two?" said the red head. "No fighting in the guild hall. Got it?"

"Hey Erza! Butt out! Why do you always have to butt in?!" snapped Gray.

"Yeah! You wanna fight too?!" demanded Natsu.

Then Erza gave them a sharp glare that made the two of them pale in fear.

"What was that?" she spoke in a low voice.

"N-n-nothing," the two boys said nervously looking away.

"Good," said the red head.

"Wow... she stopped them from fighting in a glare," I thought to myself. "That's pretty impressive."

"These people seem a little bit crazy," said Elfman in a low voice.

"Oh come on Elfman. They seem like nice people," said Lisanna. "Especially that Natsu guy. He seems really funny and cute. Right Mira?"

Once again, Mira didn't say anything. Then I suddenly remembered. Since this Makarov guy was the master of this guild, he was bound to know a lot of magic. Therefore, he could help Mira with her situation.

"Hey guys," I said getting the Strauss siblings attention. "Let's talk to that Makarov guy about Mira's arm."

"What?!" said Mira in a hushed yell. "Why?! Have you forgotten how people reacted when they saw my arm?!"

"I know, but this is different. This is a guild, right? And that Makarov guy is the master of this guild. That means that he knows a lot of magic and spells and stuff," I explained. "If we can have him look at your arm, then maybe he can help get your arm back to normal Mira."

"Oh yeah!" said Elfman his face brightening up a little.

"That's a good idea," said Lisanna.

"You think so?" asked Mira.

"Why not? It's worth a try," I said. "Let's go ask him."

We then went up to Makarov who was now drinking a cup of beer at the bar.

"Excuse me Makarov sir," I said. "There's something we need to ask you regarding a problem we have. If you have time of course."

"What is it?" asked Makarov.

I signaled Mira to go ahead and show her arm. At first, she was a bit reluctant, but Mira uncovered her cloak and showed her demon arm to Makarov and then we explained what happened. When we finished Makarov inspected Mira's arm.

"Well? Is she possessed?" asked Lisanna worriedly.

"Don't worry," said Makarov. "Your sister is not really possessed by a demon. It's just a Take Over spell. That's all."

"Take Over spell? What's that?" asked Elfman.

"It's hard to explain exactly, but it's a spell that allows the user to basically take over an entity of their choosing as long as they know that entity well. I'm sure that having that arm must have given you quite a fright, but your body just has the power of a demon. So, there's nothing to worry about."

"You mean... Mira can use magic now? That's great!" I said.

"So having that arm is a good thing!" said Lisanna. "That's wonderful news! Isn't it great Mira?"

"I... guess so," said Mira hesitantly looking at her demon hand.

Me, Elfman, and Lisanna were overjoyed that Mira wasn't possessed by a demon and now had just awakened her magic power, but Mira didn't seem all too happy about it.

"Say you kids planning on staying here?" asked Makarov. "If you like you're more than welcome to stay here if you like."

"Really?" I asked. "You don't mind having us stay here?"

"Of course not," said Makarov kindly. "Fairy Tail is open to anyone who is lost or astray. If you want to stay then by all means."

"Well OK then," I said smiling. "I guess we're staying here a while guys."

"Yay!" cheered Elfman and Lisanna.

Me, Lisanna, and Elfman were happy that we now had a place to call home, but Mira however stayed silent.

Then suddenly the boy with pink hair came sailing in heading right for me letting out a scream came right at me with a fist aimed for my face. I immediately ducked out of the way dodging the punch.

"What the heck?! What are you doing kid?!" I yelled.

"What do you think I'm doing?!" said the pink haired boy. "I'm gonna fight you fish boy!"

"But why?! I don't wanna fight you! Besides why do you wanna fight me in the first place?!"

"To see how strong you are! Someone's gotta show you who's the top dog around here and that top dog is me! So, come on and fight me!"

"What kind of reason is that to fight me?!"

"Just shut up and fight!"

The pink haired kid leaped at me with another punch, but I tilted my head and dodged it. The kid went flying past me skidding on the floor and then came at me with a kick. I crossed my arms and blocked the attack and forced the kid back.

"Hey! Natsu! Knock it off already!" said the brunette.

"He doesn't wanna fight so calm down!" said the blue haired girl.

The pink haired boy named Natsu didn't listen. He kept coming at me trying to land a hit on me, but I parried, blocked, or dodged all of his attacks with ease making Natsu start getting frustrated.

"Come on you fish smelling jerk! Stop running and dodging and fight me!"

"I won't! And give it a rest with the fish smell!"

He leaped towards me again and I prepared to defend myself. Then I suddenly began to get a feverish feeling in my head.

"Oh no," I thought. "Not my fever again."

At that moment Natsu lunged at me with another kick aiming right for my face although I didn't see him coming at the time.

"Ha! Now I got you fish boy! You're going down!" he cried as he came sailing at me with his foot raised.

It seemed that Natsu would connect, but then I bent down holding my head trying to get myself in order. When I bent down, Natsu went sailing right past me completely missing me. He kept flying until he crashed right into the last person he wanted to hit. Gray. The two of them collided crashing into a table and some chairs.

"Owie... that hurt..." groaned Natsu rubbing his head.

"What the heck Natsu!?" yelled Gray. "You trying to cheap shot me you flame brained moron!?"

"What you say?! Besides I don't need to because cause I would've taken your sorry face head on!" Natsu yelled back.

The two got into each other's faces ready to get into another brawl.

"You looking for a fight you loud mouth lizard?!"

"Bring it on you lousy stupid pervert!"

The two of them once more began to fight more ferociously than before. Whenever one would attack, they would send him flying and the other retaliated with an attack that was just as forceful. It was like a fight you would see or imagine from a story. But I didn't notice all of this. After a moment, the feverish feeling subsided and I felt my senses returning to normal.

"What... what just happened?" I mumbled to myself. "My fever spiked again?"

Lisanna and Elfman rushed to my side.

"Willy? Are you OK?" asked Elfman worriedly.

"You were lucky you dodged that one," said Lisanna. "That was amazing."

"That was just a fluke," I said straightening up. "And don't worry. I'm fine. That kid over there just caught me by surprise is all."

I then turned towards Natsu and Gray who were still slugging it out with each other.

"What the heck? Those two are fighting each other again?"

"Yup," said Makarov. "But don't worry. This always happens. You'll get used to it after a while."

Then Erza stepped back into the fray.

"That's enough you two! Knock it off already!" she said.

The two boys glared at her.

"Mind your own business Erza!" snapped Gray.

"Yeah! Unless you wanna fight you jerk!" growled Natsu.

"Very well then," said Erza calmly. "Come at me."

"No way! She's really gonna take on the two of them at once?!" gasped Lisanna.

"This is getting a little out of hand," said Elfman. "Shouldn't someone stop them?"

I was about to step forward to try and stop the fighting, but Makarov stopped me.

"Now hold on there boy," he said. "Let Erza handle this."

"But it's two against one," I said. "That's not a fair fight."

"Those odds mean nothing to Erza," said Makarov. "Especially if it's a fight between those you. Trust me. It'll be over in an instant."

The two boys leaped towards Erza each of them with a fist aimed right for her, but like Makarov told me it was over in an instant. In the blink of an eye Erza each gave the two boys and strong and powerful punch on both of their heads with a might clunk. Natsu and Gray lied on the floor bruised and bemused each one having a lump the size of a baseball on their heads.

"Holy...moly..." I breathed.

"She...did end it in an instant," said Elfman.

"I don't know if I should be amazed or scared at this," said Lisanna.

"Now don't let me catch you two fighting again. Understand?" said Erza as she walked away leaving the two.

"You...got lucky..." groaned Gray.

"I'll...beat you next time...Erza," croaked Natsu.

"You see? There's one person you should not underestimate in this guild and that person's Erza," said Makarov. "She may be young, but she's quite the strong girl."

"So...it would appear," I said.

"You what? Why don't we stay here for a while?" asked Lisanna. "This place seems like a lot of fun."

"I don't know Lisanna," said Elfman. "They seem a little weird."

"Now, Now Elfman," I said. "Sure, they seem a little weird, but they're good people. I can tell by looking at them. Besides, we could use a place to stay and it happens to be at a guild hall and I've always wanted to join a guild. It'll also be a place where you guys can learn magic."

"I didn't think of that..." said Elfman his face brightening up.

"That sounds like a lot of fun!" said Lisanna. "I'd love to learn magic."

"What do you think Mira?" I asked turning to her. "You wanna stay here? That way you can learn how to use your magic."

"I... suppose so," said Mira. "If Elfman and Lisanna wanna stay then it's fine."

"Then it's settled then," said Makarov. "Stay however long as you like. You may even join the guild if you wish to do so."

"All right!" Me, Lisanna, and Elfman cheered.

* * *

 **NO POV**

Willy, Elfman, and Lisanna were excited to stay here in the guild, but Mira however didn't look very happy. She looked at her demon arm and thought about what Makarov said. She was relieved that she wasn't possessed, but at the same time she hated having it due to the trouble it caused for her, her siblings, and for Willy.

"This arm... it may be a good thing, but... I still don't want it..."

* * *

 _Now Willy and the Strauss siblings are now in Fairy Tail, but they're not in the guild itself yet!_

 _Anyhoo if you have any ideas or tips, you know what to do!_

 _Dragoman out!_


	28. Chapter 28 Just Like You

_Here's the next chapter! Enjoy!  
_

 _Bold and italics mean flashback!_

* * *

Chapter 28

Just Like You

A month has passed since then and needless to say, the month was not only eventful but passed by quickly. During our stay, we came to like Fairy Tail so we decided to make it our new home. Not only that, but Elfman and Lisanna had decided to join Fairy Tail. The two were then stamped with the Fairy Tail emblem. Lisanna had a red emblem on her shoulder and Elfman had a black one on his neck. Mira and I didn't join just yet due to our own reasons. I wanted to choose my options first before I joined and Mira said she would think about it. In the meantime, me, Lisanna, and Elfman, we spent our time making new friends in the guild old and young.

First, we met two people who were in the guild even before I was even born. They were a blue haired man named Macao Conbolt and a brunette with puffy hair named Wakaba Mine. Those two were best buddies and were kind and caring to everyone in the guild. Although they seemed like a pair of men who liked to drink and gossip.

Then we met a skinny guy with an orange curly hair named Reedus Jonah. He was the artist in the guild drawing any happy scene or people if he wants to. If I recall correctly, one time he drew one of me and Strauss siblings. It was one of the best drawings I've ever seen. It looked like something someone took from a camera. I haven't met any artists in my life, but Reedus was definitely a pro as an artist.

Next was Laxus. He as it turned out was the grandson of Makarov himself. He didn't exactly speak much when I talked to him, but he seemed like a nice guy. However, for some reason I got a strange feeling. Something telling me to be careful and watch out for him. That and he was a little moody.

We also got to know Cana and Levy. Elfman and Lisanna were particularly fond of Cana and became fast friends. Me on the other I took a fancy with Levy. The reason being was that she shared my love of reading books. We both talked a little bit about books and stuff and talked about our favorite stories to read. Guess she and I were a pair of bookworms. Elfman and Lisanna on the other hand played with Cana because she had a talent of reading tarot cards. The two had a lot of fun having their cards read.

Since Lisanna and Elfman were having so much fun talking to Cana, I also took the time to talk to Erza. At first, I was a little nervous about talking to her due to what happened before, but as it turns out she was a very nice person once I started talking to her. She only acted the way she did because she was the only one who could keep Natsu and Gray in order whenever they fought. She kinda reminded me of Mira in some ways. Only in Erza's case she had a little bit more authority.

Then I got to know Gray. He was one of the most unusual of the bunch. Mostly because apparently, he has a habit of taking off his clothes randomly. I can relate to that some ways, but thankfully I don't do it unconditionally like Gray does. It made me wonder when and how he got that habit. Maybe his parents or someone he knew? That being said, Gray was a pretty cool kid. Only he was a little bit immature. Especially when he was fighting with Natsu.

Speaking of, Natsu was a pretty interesting boy. He had a lot of spirit and he really liked to fight. In fact, whenever he could, he would call me out wanting to pick a fight with me. He either came swinging at me trying to land a hit on me or just plain walk up to me and demand to fight me. I either dodged or avoided him anyway I could. I mean don't get me wrong, I could probably take him, but I don't wanna be on the receiving end of Erza. Especially with how strong she was.

Not only that, but I found out something about the pink headed kid that surprised me. He was a dragon slayer just like me. Only he was a fire dragon slayer. As soon as I found that out, I talked to Natsu hoping to get whatever information I could get from him. Then he told me that he was in the same situation I was. Like me he too was raised by a dragon. A fire dragon named Igneel to be exact. Also like Aquadia he raised Natsu when he was a little kid. Then one day he vanished without a trace leaving Natsu all alone. After that he wandered around searching for Igneel until he eventually came to Fairy Tail and he has been there ever since. That's was all I could get from him so far.

I was a little disappointed that that was all Natsu could tell me, but at the same time I was kinda happy that I now knew a fellow dragon slayer. Although I could make do without Natsu's obsession with fighting.

Anyway, as far as things go, me and the Strauss siblings have adjusted very well in the guild. Well... almost everyone was adjusting. Me, Lisanna, and Elfman may have been happy here, but for some reason Mira wasn't. She would sit by the bar all by her lonesome hiding in her cloak not talking to anyone. I tried getting her to try and talk to people, but she wouldn't talk to anyone except for me and her siblings. My guess was that she was still reeling from what had happened. I mean I couldn't blame her. I would probably be feeling the same way she would be after discovering that she had the power of a demon. However, she could at least try to be a little more friendly or at least try to socialize with the people in Fairy Tail.

Other than that, things in Fairy Tail were going very well for us. We stayed in the guild hall most of the time and we loved staying there. We already had made ourselves at home and we felt like were a part of a family. I just kept wishing that Mira would open up to people and be proud of the magic powers she has instead of self-loathing about them. My wish soon came true. A bit sooner than I expected.

It happened one day when I was just coming to the guild hall looking. I had just barely walked into the guild hall when a certain pink haired fire dragon slayer came walking at me with a swagger that told he was a man on a mission.

"Hey Willy! I've been looking for you!" he said.

"Hey there Natsu," I said. "How's it going?"

Natsu responded with lunging straight at me with his fist aimed right for my face, but I sidestepped the attack out of the way.

"Seriously? Natsu will you cut this out already? You've been trying to sneak attack me for the past month and it's really getting old," I said. "At least have the manners to say hi back."

"Alright then! Hi!" said Natsu. "Now here comes the greeting that comes after hi! FIRE DRAGON TALON!"

He jumped up and then ignited his foot on fire and swung his foot down towards me. Seeing the attack coming, I quickly side stepped the attack out of the way. Natsu quickly rebounded and then attacked me again and yet again I dodged.

"Come on Natsu! I don't have time for your shenanigans!" I said. "Knock it off already!"

"Say your prayers fish boy! You're not gonna run away from me this me!" cried Natsu as he came lunging at me again.

"And stop calling me fish boy!"

I couldn't understand why he was calling me that, but it sure did annoy and confuse me. I knew that there was no way that I could get away from Natsu. Or so I thought for right then and there Lisanna and Elfman came up to the pink haired kid.

"Hey Natsu! Can you come over here for a second?" asked Lisanna.

"Not know Lisanna! I'm busy!" said Natsu.

"Come on! It'll only take a second! Pretty please?" asked Lisanna sweetly.

"Yeah! You're gonna like it! It's totally awesome!" said Elfman.

Natsu being the boy that was shy of brains automatically turned his attention to Lisanna and Elfman.

"Really? In that case show me! I wanna see!" he said as he went over to them.

I let out a sigh of relief while silently saying a thank you to Elfman and Lisanna.

"Whew. I managed to dodge that bullet," I thought to myself. "Now then... where is..."

I turned and walked towards the bar and sure enough there she was. Mira was sitting in the corner of the bar all alone hiding in her cloak not talking to anyone as usual. I couldn't help, but let out a sigh.

"Oh Mira. Why can't you just come out of your protective shell?" I thought.

I was about to call out to her, but then someone came up to Mira first. It was Erza.

"Hey there. You're Mirajane right? I've heard so many things about you," she said. "My friends also tell me that you're very skilled and you have awesome powers."

Mira said nothing. Erza wanting to keep the conversation up tried change the subject.

"Well...what do you think of our guild so far? Have you grown accustomed to your surroundings?" she asked.

Mira then stood up and then walked away without acknowledging Erza at all.

"Hey what's wrong?" asked Erza as Mira walked past.

"Eh. Don't mind her," said Macao taking a sip of his beer. "She's the scary grumpy type. Never talks nor does she smile."

"Yup. She's like a little dark cloud," added Wakaba. "Her brother and sister fit right in with everyone else though."

"I really must apologize Erza," I said going up to her. "Mira isn't always like this. She's a very nice person once you get to know her."

"It's OK Willy. You don't need to apologize," said Erza. "Although I am curious as to why she doesn't talk to anyone in the guild."

"I'm not sure myself," I replied. "Although I think I know it has something to do with her magic and what the people back where we were from called her because of it."

"Oh, I see," said Erza. "I take it that she has been bullied because of that magic?"

"Yeah. I guess you could say that," I said.

I thought back to when the townspeople in Osia were at the Strauss siblings house yelling and calling her a demon and threatening her and her siblings to leave. I also remembered back to when I talked to her before we all left Osia. I could well remember what she said.

 ** _"I'm a monster... a freak... no... I'm a demon... just like the villagers said..."_**

"Maybe that's why she's feeling and acting the way she is," I thought to myself. "Because she still thinks that she's some kind of monster because of her having that ability."

"Hey Willy!"

I suddenly heard a voice call to me snapping me out of my thoughts. I turned to the source and I saw Cana and Gray come running up to me.

"Dude! You gotta check this out!" said Gray excitedly.

"Yeah! Lisanna and Elfman just showed us their magic and it's incredible!" said Cana.

"Wait...what?" I asked feeling completely puzzled.

* * *

 **NO POV**

Mira had now left the guildhall and was now walking through the street. As she walked, she touched her demon arm and clenched it remembering back to when the villagers were saying those awful things about her.

 ** _"Get of here demon!"_**

 ** _"Creatures like you don't belong here!"_**

 ** _"You and your family are better off dead!"_**

 ** _"Get out now!"_**

 ** _"We don't want you here!"_**

"Magic, Demons. I don't want anything to do with this," she muttered bitterly. "I don't even want this power either. It's vile and disgusting. Not to mention that because of this... I'm not even human anymore."

Mira then stopped walking and looked back at the guild hall. As she gazed at it, she made a decision.

"Everyone's so nice there," she said to herself. "Not to mention that it's a nice guild. I'm sure that they'll take good care of Elfman, Lisanna, and Willy. But... I can't stay here. I'll miss them that much I'm sure off... but this is for the best. Goodbye Elfman... goodbye Lisanna... and... goodbye Willy... I'm sorry."

Mira then turned around and started walking again ready to leave Magnolia, Willy, and her brother and sister behind her. Then suddenly...

"Hey Mira!"

"Where are you going?"

"Wait up!"

Mira stopped and turned around. She saw Willy, Elfman, and Lisanna coming towards her.

"What the... what are they...?" she murmured surprised to see the three.

* * *

WILLY'S POV

Me, Lisanna, and Elfman soon caught up with Mira. It was a good thing we caught her before she left.

"Mira! Listen! There's something that you need to see!" I said. "You're definitely gonna be stoked when you see this! Go on and show her you two!"

"All right! Check this out sis!" said Elfman.

"You're not gonna believe it!" added Lisanna. "You're gonna be so surprised!"

"Ta dah!"

The two of them then disappeared in a cloud of smoke. When the smoke cleared, Elfman and Lisanna reappeared having transformed. Lisanna was now wearing a two-piece halter bikini that was colored light blue with black stripes like a tiger's. Her hands and feet were now paws with a tail to match and she had cat ears on the top of her head and whiskers on her face. Elfman didn't change much though, but his arm had transformed into a furry giant paw like a bear's.

"Look at me! I can turn into a cat!" grinned Lisanna. "This is my Animal Soul."

"And this is my Beast Soul," said Elfman proudly. "Now I do have bear hands. Well... one at least."

I couldn't help, but chuckle at Elfman's pun even though it was a little lame. Mira looked at her siblings in awe and surprise for what they had just did.

"How... how did you..." she stammered.

"The people in Fairy Tail taught those spells to them," I explained smiling. "Apparently they wanted to be more like you."

"Is... this true?" asked Mira.

"Yup," said Lisanna cheerfully.

"Although... I can only change my arm though," said Elfman.

"Don't sell yourself short Elfman," I said chuckling. "You and Lisanna learning Take Over magic was a feat of itself. You both should be proud."

"Anyway, we noticed how you were feeling lonely before, but now..." began Lisanna.

"The three of us are now alike," finished Elfman pumping his bear fist. "So now you won't feel lonely anymore."

"That's right," I said. "The three of you will become an awesome team."

Mira eyes were now welling with tears, but not because she was sad. From what I saw, those were tears of someone who was moved.

"You... you're all so sweet," she wept.

"We'll always be together, and we'll always have the same magic now," said Lisanna.

"Not to mention that it's super cool!" added Elfman. "Hey Lisanna. Let's show Mira our other Take Overs!"

"OK!"

In another puff of smoke, Lisanna and Elfman used their Take Over spells again. This time it led to unexpected results. Lisanna had turned into a small pink piglet and Elfman's bear arm was replaced with a limb that looked like a giraffe's.

"Oh no! I think I messed up," said Lisanna. "I... guess I still need a little more practice."

"Me too!" yelped Elfman who was looking at his arm in shock and horror.

I tried to hold back my laughter, but I couldn't help it. They looked so silly that I couldn't help but laugh. Mira also laughed wiping her tears.

"You two... you really expect to work at the guild with your magic like that?"

"You used your magic to protect us and Willy, right? Now it's our turn to protect you," said Elfman.

"Yeah!" chimed in Lisanna.

Mira walked to her siblings and embraced them with a hug.

"Thank you... thank you both so much," she said happily. "I couldn't have asked for a better brother and a sister. You two are the best."

I smiled letting the siblings have their moment. It kinda made me wish that I had siblings of my own too. Well in a way they kinda were.

"Now then, how about we get to the guild hall?" I said. "I'd say that it's about time that we introduce yourself. Wouldn't you say Mira?"

Mira looked at me and gave a smile and a nod.

* * *

A few moments later, we went back to the guild hall and then Lisanna and Elfman introduced Mira to Gray, Cana, and Levy. Then for the first time since Osia, Mira finally took off the hood of her cloak and revealing her face to them. The three were surprised to see Mira's face and it wasn't just them. A few of the other guild mates saw as well and they were amazed.

"Well what do you know," said Macao. "Guess she had a cute face underneath that cloak after all."

"Yeah, no kidding," agreed Wakaba.

"So...um... I wanted to apologize for being so rude and not talking to you guys for the past month," she said. "I... was just not feeling right. But ...now I wanna make things right by starting over if you'll let me. My name's Mira."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Cana."

"And I'm Levy."

"Gray's my name."

"Natsu."

After they introduced themselves, they went on asking Mira about herself wanting to get to know her. It was hard to believe that one minute Mira was a loner and now she was the center of attention. As I watched everyone talk to her, I could only smile. Then Makarov walked up next to me.

"Well now. Looks like your friend has finally opened up has she? That's good." he said. "It's nice to finally see her being friendly don't you think?"

"Yeah. She looks way better when she's smiling and making friends," I said. "I'm glad for her. Maybe now she'll be able to fit in like her brother and sister."

* * *

A couple days later, I was sitting on the table reading a book that I was borrowing from Levy. Then I heard a voice call out to me.

"Yo Willy!"

I look up and I saw a girl coming up to me. She was wearing an overly revealing outfit that was black comprising a sleeveless shirt, leather shorts held up by a studded belt with a demonic-looking buckle and thigh-high boots with stiletto heels. I didn't even recognize her at first until I saw her silver hair tied in a ponytail with a dark purple ribbon.

"Mira? Is that you?"

"Yup," she smiled. "It's me."

My eyes widened a little in surprise. Not just because of her new outfit, but her arm the one that was like a demon's was now back to how it should be. A normal human arm.

"Mira! Your arm! It's..."

"I know, right? Lisanna and Elfman helped me with it. Since their magic was like mine, once I got the hang of it I was able to turn my arm back to normal."

"That's great!" I said, and I gave Mira a big hug.

Mira blushed a little and pushed me away a little. "H-hey take it easy with the hugs. No need to get all mushy on me."

"Sorry about that. I'm just glad that you're back to your old self again," I said smiling.

Mira looked away sheepishly scratching her cheek. "Yeah...sure. Whatever," she said.

"Have you been getting along with the other guild members?" I asked.

"Yeah. They're all nice... I guess," replied Mira playing with one of her bangs in her hair. "Lisanna and Elfman introduced me to them."

I suddenly then remembered the other day when Erza tried introducing herself to her the other day.

"How about Erza? Did you talk to her too?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Don't wanna."

Mira stubbornly looked away with a sulky pout on her face. Before I could ask her again as to why she wouldn't talk to Erza, the very girl in question came right up to us. She had a very angry snarl on her face.

"Mira! I've been looking for you!" she said angrily.

"Um... Erza? Is something the matter?" I asked.

"Of course! This thieving wench stole something of great value to me!" said Erza pointing a finger at Mira. "My strawberry cake!"

"What?!"

Before I could ask why Erza would say such a thing, Mira immediately went up to Erza getting up in her face.

"Who are you calling a thieving wench, you red-headed tramp?!" she snarled.

"I know it was you Mira! Don't you dare try and deny it! So, own up to what you did or else!"

"Or else what?! What are you gonna do about it?!"

"What the heck?! Wait a minute! Calm down both of you please!"

I tried to reason with them before it got out of hand, but it was no use. Mira and Erza then got into an all-out brawl with each other. It was like watching Natsu and Gray fight all over again. Then Lisanna and Elfman came up along with some of the other members.

"Oh no. They're fighting again," said Elfman.

"Hey guys! Shouldn't we stop them? I mean they're practically beating the crap out of each other!" I said. "How did they even get like this in the first place?!"

"Well to put it simply it was kinda like how Natsu and Gray first met," said Cana. "I don't know who started it, but all I know is that Erza said something about Mira's outfit making her look like a hooker. Mira didn't like that, so she got Erza back by eating her cake and then the two had an all-out fight."

"I'll say this much. I've never seen anyone go toe to toe with Erza before," said Levy. "It's incredible but at the same time kinda scary."

"Never mind that!" I said. "Someone should stop them before someone gets hurt!"

"That won't be necessary," said a voice.

I turned around and once again Makarov seemed to suddenly appear from behind me.

"Why don't we let those two be? It's not every day that Erza has a chance to fight someone who can give her a run for her money."

"But Mister Makarov! You can't be serious!" I protested.

"I am serious," said Makarov. "Besides Mira and Erza are just like those two knuckleheads Natsu and Gray."

"Like Natsu and Gray? How?" I asked.

"When the two of them first met they duked it out like this too. In fact, whenever they saw each other, they would fight automatically," explained Makarov. "However, it wasn't just because of the fact that they hate each other, it was because of the fact that they're rivals."

"Rivals?"

"Yes. Having a rival isn't necessarily a bad thing. Think of it... as form of friendship. A way for you to get stronger or to get to know someone. It's something that you need to discover my boy. Anyway, what I'm saying is... those two girls were already friends the moment they met. If you don't believe me... take a look for yourself."

I did what Makarov said and looked at Erza and Mira who were still fighting. Both of them were at a stalemate grabbing each other's hair.

"Damn it...! You're still just as strong and annoying as ever Erza!" growled Mira.

"And you're still just as brash and stubborn Mira!" Erza shot back. "But I gotta give you some credit, you're pretty tough. It's not every day I met someone who's strong enough to take me on!"

"What can I say? You've been the queen bee around here for far too long! Time someone put you in your place!"

"Oh yeah? Then come at me then!"

"You ain't the boss of me!"

Both girls now locked arms each one trying to overpower the other, but what really surprised me was that the two of them were smiling.

"Wow... they're...really are smiling," I murmured.

"You see? Now why don't you leave them be? The last thing you wanna do is to get involved in a girl's fight Willy. Especially with those two," said Makarov chuckling. Besides I think she's gonna fit right in now don't you think?"

"I see what you mean Mister Makarov," I said smiling a little.

I still didn't quite understand it, but at the same time I could kinda understand. The bottom line was Mira was finally fitting in and opening up in Fairy Tail and that was good enough for me.

* * *

 _Well I'll be honest. I had to grind my gears_ _on this chapter, but I'm glad I got it done!_

 _Hope to see you for my next chapter! Review, give me tips, or anything else!_

 _Dragoman out!_


	29. Chapter 29 A Fever Pitch Battle

_Now here's the next chapter of my fanfiction! I'm so hyped because more and more people are reading this and Fairy Tail is getting more episodes soon!_

 _I can't wait for it!_

 _Until then, happy reading and keep the reviews coming! Don't forget to follow too!_

* * *

Chapter 29

A Fever Pitch Battle

 **WILLY'S POV**

The next morning, I came into the guildhall feeling a little disappointed. I had just had gone into town looking for any information regarding Aquadia, but I had no luck. Everyone I asked either laughed telling me I was crazy and dragons didn't exist or ignoring me not interested in listening to what I had to say. Although there were some people that were nice enough to give me a response. After a few hours of info searching, I decided to head back to the guild and try and think about my next move.

I had barely just walked in when I sensed something. Someone was coming straight at me from above and I knew who it was. I sighed exasperated and then I side stepped to my right to find a certain pink headed fire dragon falling right next to to me slamming right onto the floor.

"Yowie!" yelped Natsu holding his head in pain. "That really hurt!"

"That's what you get for sneak attacking me for the umpteenth time," I said flatly. "Can't you give it a rest already Natsu? You're only hurting yourself as well as your pride. Besides now's not a good time right now."

"No way! I ain't gonna till you fight me!" snapped Natsu pointing a finger at me. "I'm gonna kick your butt and won't let up until you say uncle!"

"OK. Uncle."

"What?! Don't say that now! I haven't even done anything yet!"

"That's cuz you ain't gonna do anything," I said. "I told you before, I'm not gonna fight you."

"Screw that! I'm gonna fight you whether you like it or not! So get ready fish boy!" said Natsu stomping his foot and igniting his foot with his magic. "Now... FIRE DRAGON TALON!"

As Nastu came at me with his Fire Dragon Talon, I quickly took a step to the right and dodged the attack. Natsu quickly rebounded and then attacked again. I quickly took a look around and once again as luck would have it, I saw Gray who was nonchalantly sitting by a table lounging around. I really hated doing this and I would probably ask Erza or Makarov to tell Natsu to stop but the guy doesn't learn sense, so this was pretty much the only way to get Natsu off my case. Besides him and Gray fought constantly anyway and it always worked like a charm.

So as Natsu was about to attack me again, I made sure that Gray was in his line of attack. Then Natsu leaped up and ignited his fist on fire.

"FIRE DRAGON IRON FIST!"

As Natsu came at me with his attack, I waited till Natsu was close enough. Then at the last second I leaned to the left dodging his attack. Natsu flew right past me shooting right past me not being able to stop himself. Once again before Gray had a chance to react, Natsu crashed right into him making the two end up in a heap on the floor. The two gazed grimly at each other.

"What the heck's your problem Natsu?! Do you really want to get your butt kicked that badly because I don't mind beating you again!" yelled Gray.

"Shut up jerk! You shouldn't have gotten in my way!" Natsu yelled back. "And I beat you last time and you know it!"

"No you didn't! I beat you by a mile fire-for-brains and you know it!"

"What'd you call me you icy loud mouth flasher?!"

Then the two of them once more engaged in an all out brawl against each other. I however let out a sigh of relief walking away from the two.

"Geez. He never quits does he?" I said to myself. "I'll give him this much, he certainly does have persistence. Although... he is a bit simple minded. At least that took the heat off of me for a while."

I went over to the bar away from the fight and sat down letting out a sigh. Levy and Cana just so happened to be nearby.

"Well hello there Willy," said Cana. "What seems to be the problem? You seem kinda down."

"Oh it's nothing Cana," I said. "I'm just resting a little bit." I said

"I see that Natsu's been picking a fight with you again," said Levy. "I'm surprised that you haven't actually fought him after all the times he's tried to ambush you."

"Yeah I know. He's been at it for a while now. I'd wish he'd give it a rest already." I sighed.

"Well have you tried telling Erza or the master?" asked Cana.

"Believe me I tried, but that isn't stopping him," I said now feeling annoyed. "He still does it. It's like trying to shoo away a fly that won't buzz off."

"Well, have you actually fought Natsu?" said a familiar voice.

I turned towards the voice to see Erza coming up to us.

"If you really want Natsu to stop picking fights with you then it would make sense for you to fight him. "If you defeat him then maybe he'll stop."

"Well... I guess that's true, but..."

Erza made a valid point. If I did fight Natsu and beat him, then maybe he would actually stop provoking me. However there was one reason why that I didn't want to fight him. The reason being was my strange and recent fever. I could still remember what had happened the last few times it spiked mostly because of me using my magic. The first time was back in Osia and then again the first time Natsu picked a fight with me. I also tested my magic out a few times by myself and the result being my fever acting up. In short, I was worried if I went and started using my magic in a fight, it would cause my fever to act up again or get worse. The last thing I wanted was for people to worry about me especially the Strauss siblings, so I kept it to myself and I prevented myself from using my magic.

"Well... let's just say that I'm not exactly in the mood to fight him Erza," I said. "Not to mention I'm not a fighting freak like he is."

"Well, I can't argue with that," said Erza. "Still, you gotta give him some credit though. He may not be brightest, but his persistence is quite commendable."

"Well well. Someone's busting out the big words today."

Erza and I knew who that was. Sure enough, she along with her brother and sister came up.

"Mira. Lisanna. Elfman. How's it going you guys?" I asked.

"Pretty good. We actually just came back from doing a job," said Elfman.

"So what are you guys talking about?" asked Lisanna.

"Oh nothing much Lisanna, Natsu's been picking fights with me again," I said. "I was just trying to come up with a way to get him to stop."

"Then why don't you kick his butt already?" asked Mira. "I mean come on, the bonehead will never learn unless you hammer it into him. You can take him, so just beat him up!"

"Now, now Mira. Don't be mean," said Lisanna.

"She's right. Besides," said Erza. "Willy's taking his time trying to solve the problem peacefully. Not everyone is as belligerent as Natsu and apparently you are."

"Oh wow. Someone learned another new word," said Mira mockingly. "Where'd you learn that word? From a dictionary? How lame. I bet an idiot like you doesn't even know what the word even means."

Erza turned towards Mira clearly insulted and the two of them glared threateningly at each other.

"You looking for a fight again you simple minded wench? Because I'll be happy to teach you a thing or two again if you wish," hissed Erza.

"Oh quit acting so high and mighty," growled Mira. "We both know that I kicked your butt last time and don't think I'll do it again."

"Oh is that so?"

"Yeah. You gonna start something?!"

"Oh boy. Here we go again," deapanned Cana as two girls went at it again. "Here Erza's telling Natsu and Gray to not fight in the guildhall, but when she and Mira fight she gets to fight whenever she wants?"

"Yeah. That's nothing short of hypercritical," said Levy flatly.

I let out a sigh exasperated with all the fighting. Is this all that this guild is known for, fighting and brawls? It was no wonder why I haven't joined Fairy Tail yet. Well... that and the fact that I can't exactly join due to my condition. Not to mention that I had to keep looking for information on Aqudia.

"By the way Willy that reminds me," said Elfman. "How come you haven't joined Fairy Tail yet? I would have thought that you'd have joined by now."

"Yeah. If you joined,you would have been able to go with us on the job we just went," said Lisanna. "You would have been able to see lots of interesting places and people."

"Yeah. I know," I said. "But I didn't join yet because I'm still trying to decide if I should join or not. You know weighing my options if you will."

"You should join now," said Lisanna. "It's not the same without you... Especially when we go on jobs."

Lisanna looked at me with a pouty expression on her face. Seeing that, I couldn't help but smile.

"I know Lisanna," I reassured patting her head. "But don't worry. I'll join Fairy Tail after I've given it some thought. In the meantime, just give me a little time OK?"

"Oh OK," replied Lisanna still pouting disappointed.

"We hope you join soon," said Elfman. "It's not the same when you're not around. And maybe you can help keep Big Sis Mira in check with her fights."

I couldn't help but chuckle. I then requested for a drink of water. Water was a good way of restoring my stamina, although it would be better if it helped with my condition. As I drank my water, I let my mind wander thinking about what I should do. I could forget about looking for info in Magnolia because there was next to nothing. I even looked as far as books in libraries, but they hardly had anything either. If anything, the only book they had was a book called Dragon Historia. It was pretty much a book filled with nothing but facts of dragons which I already kinda knew.

My next option was probably to leave and head to the next town, but I couldn't do that. That would mean leaving Mira and the others behind and that would never do. I did promise them that I was gonna stay with them no matter what so that's what I was gonna do.

"Man... what should I do?" I thought to myself.

"Seems like you have a lot on your mind."

I was so startled that I almost choked on my water. Turning to my right, I saw that Makarov had all of a sudden appeared right next to me. He was sitting on the counter drinking a mug a beer without a care in the world.

"Master Makarov! You startled me!"

"Sorry about that," apologized Makarov taking another swig. "I couldn't help but notice that you're in deep thought about something. Mind telling me what it is?"

"It's nothing important," I said. "I'm just thinking about some things sir."

"I see," said Makarov. "Let me guess, you didn't find any info on your dragon and you're trying to figure out your next move?"

"Yeah. You guessed it," I replied. "I just don't know what to do now. I wanna find some more info, but I didn't find any here. Master Makarov, what should I do?"

"Hmmm. Let's see..." Makarov hummed thoughtfully. "I don't know much about dragons myself so there's not much I can tell you, but I can tell you that the answer will soon come to you. You just have to take your time that's all. The information will come soon enough."

"I suppose so."

"Now then since I answered your question, how about you answer one of mine? How come you haven't joined the guild like your friends did? It'd be a great way for you to go to around to different towns looking for information regarding your dragon."

I sighed upon for being asked that same question again. "Believe me Mister Makarov. I would love to join, but... there are some... complications..."

"Complications? Like what? If you have some kind of problem, you can talk to me about it. I'll do whatever I can to help you."

At first I wasn't going to say anything, but then I had a thought. Maybe Makarov could help. I mean he was the master of the guild and he probably knew all sorts of magic. Maybe he could help me with my condition like he did with Mira. I was just about to explain what my issue was regarding my powers, but then suddenly something hit me hard on my back causing the water I was drinking to splash all over me.

"What the heck?!" I coughed as I snapped my head around to see who had attacked me from behind. Soon enough I saw who it was. There stood Natsu who was standing behind me with a smirk on his face.

"Ha! Gotcha that time fish boy!" he said victoriously.

"That was a cheap shot Natsu!" said Lisanna.

"Oh shut up Lisanna. He had it coming!" Natsu said. "Besides that's what he gets for leaving his guard down!"

This made me feel a bit irritated. It was bad enough that Natsu made me spill water all over myself, but now he was telling me that I "let my guard down." I couldn't help, but get a little angry.

"Natsu. Seriously. You need to cut this out," I said hotly. "I'm really trying to be nice here."

"Being nice or chicken?" mocked Natsu. "I bet you're scared to fight me because you know you'll lose."

I felt my eyebrow twitch as I grew a little more irritated for what Natsu said. Now he was calling me a chicken? I wasn't about to let that slide. I immediately got off my stool and stood in front of Natsu.

"Who are you calling a chicken Natsu?" I demanded. "I just don't wanna fight you because I wanna save you the trouble from getting yourself beaten by me!"

"Oh yeah? How do you know that?" Natsu shot back. "You don't know because you keep running away all the time! Just like a chicken!"

My hands were now balled up into fists slightly trembling in anger. For some reason I was more angry than before. In fact, I was fed up. I also didn't notice at the time, but a small crowd of our guildmates had formed around us listening in on us.

"You know what Natsu? I'm getting really tired of you trying to pick fights with me! Not to mention you calling me a chicken!" I snapped angrily. "If you wanna fight so bad? Fine then! Let's take this outside and fight! Over at beach at noon!"

"Yeah! Now we're talking!" said Natsu. "Let's go!"

Then the guildmates that gathered around us began to cheer.

"All right! They're finally gonna fight!"

"I've always wanted to see a fight between Dragon Slayers!"

"I wonder which one will win?"

It was then that I finally registered what I had just said. Then Mira and Gray came up to me.

"You're finally gonna fight Natsu? It's about time," said Gray. "I've been wanting to see the two of you go at it!"

"Yeah. It's about time you show this bonehead who's boss!" said Mira. "Go get em Willy! You got this!"

"What... what did I get myself into?" I thought. "Oh crap..."

* * *

 **NO POV**

Moments later Willy and Natsu were standing at the shore of the beach close to town with a small crowd of spectators watching them. The spectators comprised of Erza, Gray, Cana, Levy, and The Strauss Siblings.

"Well this is sure to be interesting," said Erza.

"Oh yeah! This is gonna be good," said Gray. "It's one thing to fight Natsu, but to watch him being clobbered is a different story."

"I sure hope that Willy's gonna be alright fighting," said Elfman. "I haven't seen him fight in a long time."

"Now that you mention it I haven't seen him use his magic ever since we left Osia," said Lisanna. "I wonder why? I hope he's still OK after that fever he had before."

"Don't you worry about a thing guys," said Mira confidently. "Willy's got this in the bag. I'd be more worried about Natsu. He's so gonna get creamed." She then called out to Willy. "Hey Willy! Show no mercy! Knock that bonehead into next week!"

"Yeah! And make sure that you get a few hits for me too!" added Gray.

* * *

 **WILLY'S POV**

"Oh man... I just had to open my big mouth and get angry," I thought to myself. "Oh well. No use crying over spilled water. I'm just gonna have to fight Natsu and get this over with. One thing's for sure, I have to try and not use my magic. If I do then my fever will act up. All I have to do is use my fists. Nothing more and nothing less."

Nastu stood in front of me cracking his knuckles in anticipation. "I've been waiting for this! I hope you're ready to lose fish boy, cuz I'm gonna beat the pants off of ya!"

"We'll see," I said as a took a stance ready to fight.

No sooner than that, Natsu leaped towards me his fist raised in a straight punch. I raised my hand and blocked the punch with ease and then flung him away. Natsu quickly rebounded and attacked again with a kick. I quickly blocked the attack by crossing my arms and pushing him back. Natsu flipped in the air regaining his composure and landed on his feet like a cat.

With a mighty yell, Natsu attacked me again with a flurry of punches hopelessly trying to connect a bow and I blocked and parried each punch with ease. Then I countered with an uppercut right on his chin sending him flat on his back on the ground.

"Had enough yet Natsu?" I asked. "No matter how many times you keep attacking, I'm just gonna knock you down again."

"No way! I ain't done yet!" barked Natsu. "I'm not even close to being done!"

He clenched his fist coating it on fire and with another yell he attacked with his fire coated fist raised. I waited till the last minute when he was close enough, then I tilted my head to the left dodging his punch. Natsu rebounded and attacked again this time coating both of his hands with fire. He attacked once more using a flurry of punches and blows. Once again I dodged, blocked and parried each of the blows. The blows were a little hotter than usual, but it was nothing that I couldn't handle.

Then Natsu ignited his right foot with fire and then swung it at me in a roundhouse kick. I caught it with my bare hand and threw it making Natsu stumble and I countered with my own kick hitting him square in the stomach. Natsu was once again sent flying into the air until he hit the ground eating the dirt. I looked down at Natsu as he got to his feet once again.

"Looks like I'm winning," I thought. "I didn't even have to use my magic. I'd say it's about time I wrap this up."

"Haven't you had enough yet Natsu? Or do you want some more?" I asked aloud.

"I ain't done yet!" said Natsu determination written on his face. "I'm not even close to being done! I'm gonna beat you! Just you wait!"

"Come on Natsu. It's clear that you can't beat me," I sighed shaking my head. "No matter how many times you try, you won't be able to beat me."

"Shut your face! Let me tell you something Willy! You may be stronger than me, but somehow someway I'm gonna beat ya!" snapped Natsu defiantly. "It doesn't matter if you're like me as a dragon slayer... I'm gonna show you and everyone else how strong I can be! Just you watch!" Natsu then chuffed out his cheeks taking in some air and then unleashed a giant blast of fire from his mouth. "FIRE DRAGON ROAR!"

It was an exact duplicate of my breath attack only his was made of fire. Seeing the attack coming I instinctively clenched my fist and got ready to use my Water Dragon Geyser Wall, but then I suddenly remembered.

"Man! I forgot! I can't use my magic! Guess I have no choice, but to dodge!"

I jumped into the air and dodged the attack. The breath attack hit the ground from where I once stood causing the sand to explode in a cloud of dust. Sand billowed everywhere blinding my line of sight. I landed safely on the ground and tried to see where Natsu was, but I couldn't see a thing.

"Darn it! Where is he? I can see a thing! I gotta get out of this sand!"

I dashed forward and I got out of the cloud of sand, but the moment I did, I suddenly heard Natsu.

"You're wide open! FIRE DRAGON SWORDHORN!"

I turned and before I had a chance to react, Natsu slammed straight into my stomach using his head and his body cloaked in fire. The attack sent me flying and slamming into the ground.

"Ha! Told you I'd get you!" said Natsu victoriously.

* * *

 **NO POV**

"No way!"

"He actually scored a hit!"

"Impossible!"

The spectators who were watching the battle could not believe what they were seeing. Natsu who was getting his butt handed to him had finally scored a blow on Willy. Mostly everyone was shocked, but Erza however was impressed.

"A pretty clever move," she said. "Natsu used the sand as a smokescreen when he made his attack. Then when Willy stepped out of it, he took advantage and attacked him when his guard was down."

"No way. That had to have been sheer luck!" said Gray. "That moron doesn't have the brain to come up with something like that!"

"Hey! I heard that frosty!" shouted Natsu.

"Come on Willy! How could you let that guy hit you like that?!" shouted Mira. "You can't lose to someone from Team Erza!"

"Since when is Natsu on a team?" deadpanned Cana.

"Something's not right here," said Elfman. "Willy got hit so easily."

"What do you mean, Elfman?" asked Lisanna.

"I mean... it was such an easy attack," explained Elfman. "He could have seen it coming if he used his magic, but for some reason he didn't."

"Hey you're right," said Lisanna. "I wonder why he didn't. Is he holding back or something?"

Then Willy got up on his feet having recovered. But for some reason something was different. Willy had his face turned down to the ground hidden from view. Then he looked up. Willy looked at Natsu with a face that hardly anyone had seen before. His face had a slight twinge of anger and his eyes were glinting with a slight shade of violet. Although it was only for a moment.

"Alright Natsu... since you were able to land a blow on me," he spoke. "I think it's time I return the favor."

Then for the first time in a while, Willy cloaked his hands in water activating his magic.

"Looks like Willy's about to get serious," said Levy.

"Alright! Now we're gonna see what kind of magic he can do," said Gray.

Willy and Natsu stared at each other daring for one to making a move. Then Willy dashed towards Natsu in an incredible speed and punched at him aiming right for his face. Natsu barely managed to dodge and tried to counter, but Willy blocked it using his hand. As soon as he caught Natsu's punch, he squeezed it not letting go out it. Then he cloaked his fist with water and gave Natsu a powerful punch right to his face.

"WATER DRAGON IRON FIST!"

The blow hit Natsu hard sending him flying and sprawling to the ground. Natsu quickly got back up and preparing to retaliate, but before he had a chance to react Willy suddenly appeared in front of him and attacked him again.

"WATER DRAGON TALON!"

Willy cloaked his leg with water and slammed Natsu in the gut. Natsu's eyes practically popped out of their sockets from the blow as he was sent flying again. He tumbled along the ground and fell flat on his face.

"Oh man! That had to have hurt!" said Gray.

"No kidding," said Cana. "That made me feel the blow too."

"That's the way!" said Mira. "Go get em!"

As the spectators cheered and watching enjoying the fight, Lisanna and Elfman watched on with worry. Something was amiss with Willy, but neither one could figure out what that was.

Natsu struggled to his feet still reeling from the blow and glared at Willy. "N-not bad fish boy," he groaned. "But... I'm not gonna go down that easily..."

Willy said nothing. His eyes stared at Natsu as if something had awakened in him. Then he chuffed out his cheeks and prepared to unleash a breath attack. Natsu seeing this chuffed out his cheeks again and prepared to use a breath attack on his own.

"WATER DRAGON..."

"FIRE DRAGON..."

"ROAR!"

Both dragon slayers unleashed their most powerful breath attacks. Willy's being a giant stream of water and Natsu's being a stream of fire. Both attacks collided with a sphere of two colors in the middle of the struggle. Both attacks pushed each other back and forth trying to overpower the other. Then Willy flared up his magic power and his breath began taking the color it had before. Blue with a slight tinge of black only the black was showing itself more. With a mighty shout, he pushed back Natsu's Fire Dragon Roar until it was close to overwhelming him.

"Natsu get out of there!" yelled Erza.

Natsu hearing Erza immediately ducked out of the way. The roar kept going surging past towards the sea. The attack split the sea in two causing waves to ripple from two sides. Water sprayed everywhere.

"Holy moly..." murmured Natsu.

"I...don't believe it," said Erza. "I... I've seen anyone use so much magic power before! Just how strong is Willy?"

"I don't know... but he's super strong..." said Gray. "Might be even stronger then Erza..."

The Strauss siblings themselves were equally as surprised and stupefied. Particularly Mira. Out of all the times she had seen Willy's magic, this was the first time she had seen it like this.

Willy stood there looking at Natsu as he sat there still shocked by the power Willy had just displayed. Seeing that Natsu was safe from the blast, he slowly walked towards him. As he did, he held his hand up about to create a sword made of water, but then he staggered and then fell to the ground face first.

"Willy!" cried Mira as she, Elfman, and Lisanna rushed to his side. She lifted him up taking him into her arms shaking him. "Wake up! Willy! Willy can you hear me?"

"What happened? What's wrong?" asked Natsu showing concern and rushing over as well.

"I don't know," said Lisanna. "Did he faint or something?"

Erza then came over and noticed how flushed Willy now was. She then felt his head and her eyes widened.

"This is bad! He's got a high fever!" she said urgently. "He has to be taken to a doctor right away!"

* * *

 _OK then! Another chapter is now finished!_

 _Willy's fever has flared up again!_

 _What is this unknown condition that's afflicting him and his magic?_

 _You'll have to stay tuned and find out! Until then..._

 _Dragoman out!_


	30. Chapter 30 A Promise to Return

_Next chapter is up! And in other news, Fairy Tail Dragon Cry is finally gonna be dubbed! XD XD XD I'm so psyched!_

 _Also thank you for the reviews everyone! They really help me out!_

 _And so... without further ado, enjoy the next chapter!_

 _Italics and Bold stand for flashbacks and dreams_

 _Italics stand for thinking_

* * *

Chapter 30

A Promise to Return

 ** _..._**

 ** _"...what... what happened to me?"_**

 ** _I opened my eyes and glanced around. I once again found myself inside of what seemed to be an endless ocean. There was no sign of anything or anyone. Just nothing, but water.  
_**

 ** _"Not this again. Is this gonna happen every single time that I'm unconscious or asleep? Wait a second... how did I get unconscious in the first place?"_**

 ** _I thought back trying to remember how this could have happened, but my mind was all a blur. Just then ominous shadow loomed over me making me turn around. There in front of me was the cloud of murky water._**

 ** _"It's that thing again," I thought. "Is that thing gonna give ramble on about some kind of thing I have to do or something?"_**

 ** _Suddenly the murky cloud began to change shape and grow in size. Two tendrils came out of it and took the shape of arms with long nails. Two more came out from the bottom taking the shape of legs. Eventually the murky cloud of water took the shape of a shadowy human-like form._**

 ** _"What the... that's new..."_**

 ** _The murky human-like cloud then opened it's eyes. However unlike before instead of giving off a golden yellow color, the color these eyes were now a brilliant shade of violet purple. They stared right at me as if they were staring into the very depths of my soul and I was now feeling scared._**

 ** _"Wha... what's going on here?"_**

 ** _Then before I had a chance to react, the murky human-like being reached out and grabbed me with it's hands. The being squeezed me hard making me yelp in surprise. I tried to break free, but the being had a firm hold on me._**

 ** _"Hey! Let go of me! Why are you... doing this!?" I said._**

 ** _The being didn't reply. It kept on squeezing me like it wanted to suffocate me. As it squeezed me, I could feel the water around me get warm and eventually get hot. It was getting hard to breathe and I felt my vision get hazy.  
_**

 ** _"No...! No! Stop it! Stop it! You're... gonna kill me!" I said trying to breathe._**

 ** _The being didn't listen. It squeezed me even harder and it got even hotter than before. I was suffocating and burning at the same time. If I didn't do something soon, I wasn't gonna last much longer...  
_**

 ** _The being continued to make me suffer staring at me with it's gleaming eyes. It suddenly let out a scream that rang in my ears. I would cover them, but unfortunately my arms were occupied. Then suddenly the center of my chest began to glow in a bright blue light which caused the being scream in pain and let me go. It didn't take me long to realize that the light was coming from my necklace around my neck. The light in grew brighter and brighter until it completely overtook my field of vision..._**

* * *

WILLY'S POV

My eyes suddenly snapped open as I woke up from my dream. I was breathing heavily and I was dripping with sweat. It didn't take me long to calm down and get my breathing back to normal. _  
_

 _"It... was just a dream... Just a dream..."_

I was lying on a bed staring up at a white ceiling above my head having something wet on top of my head. I stared at the ceiling for a few seconds before sitting up groaning a little and taking the wet object off of my head which turned out to be a cold cloth. Also by looking at myself, I took notice that my clothes were now different as well. I was now wearing a light green scrub with small cloud designs on it which only meant one thing.

 _"Oh man... I'm in the hospital again? Talk about deja vu. I wonder how I ended up here this time?"_

The last thing I remember was that I had inadvertently challenged Natsu to a fight after he had made me spill water on myself. After that we went to the beach along with a few spectators from the guild watching us. Then we fought. I had the upper hand, but then Natsu managed to get me with a sneak attack. After that... everything was pretty fuzzy. Just thinking about it made me feel a little weak. I lied back down on the bed trying to ease it a little, I left my hand rest on my head trying to pull myself together. Then I felt how hot my head was making me pull my hand away. That's when I knew what was going on.

 _"Did I use my magic without me realizing it? That would explain why I feel so hot and dizzy. But even if that was true then how come I don't remember it?"_

"He's right inside here. Remember he may be conscious, but he's still feeling a little weak."

A voice from outside of the room caught my attention. Then I heard the door of my room open which made me turn towards it. A nurse walked in along with Elfman and Lisana. When they saw me, they immediately rushed to my side.

"Willy! You're awake! Thank goodness," said Lisanna.

"Hey... hey guys," I said weakly.

"Are you OK?" asked Elfman worriedly. "We were worried sick about you!"

"I'm OK. I'm just feeling a little weak that's all," I replied. "By the way, what happened to me? I remember fighting Natsu, but... I don't remember much after that."

"You fainted," explained Lisanna. "After you unleashed your magic, you had a high fever and fainted. After that, Erza told the master and he called Magnolia Hospital."

"Yeah. After that, Mira helped carry you all the way here," added Elfman. "She even wanted to stay by your side to make sure you were OK. Despite the doctors telling her that she couldn't."

At the mention of Mira, I looked around but I couldn't see her which made me feel a little puzzled.

"Where is Mira anyway?" I asked. "Is she even here?"

"She is... but the doctor told us to keep as few visitors as possible," said Lisanna. "So Mira had to wait outside along with everyone else."

"In any case, we're glad that you're OK," said Elfman. "But what happened to you out there? One minute you were fighting and the next minute you knocked out cold just for using your magic."

"To be perfectly honest I'm not sure myself," I said. "I'm still wondering what's going on."

"Are you sure it has nothing to do with your magic?" asked Elfman. "You fainted right after you used it after all."

I instinctively felt my heart jump which made me turn my attention towards her.

"Oh? I'm sure it was nothing. I'm probably just having one of those days-"

"Hold it right there!"

Lisanna suddenly snapped making me and Elfman jump a little. Lisanna then looked at me looking very angry.

"Willy. Don't you dare to make up an excuse. Trust me. That's the oldest trick in the book," said Lisanna. "We've known each other for a while and I can tell you're lying."

"Um... uh..."

"Willy. Tell us the truth. Somethings wrong with you and you can't hide it from us," continued Lisanna. "We've been seeing your recent behavior and that proves something's up with you. You haven't joined a guild nor have you used your magic. Not your fever's gotten more severe now. Look. We're friends aren't we? How are we friends if you won't tell us your problems?

"She's right," added Elfman. "What you're doing is something just what Mira did back in Osia. And you saw what good that did her. So please tell us what's wrong."

Both of their eyes stared right into mine as if they were searching the very depths of my soul. As much as I wanted to keep quiet about my condition, I couldn't hide it from them any longer. It wouldn't be right of me. I didn't want to sound like a hypocrite, so I sighed.

"All right you win," I said. "I'll tell you what's going on. You see... I think there something wrong with my magic."

Elfman, and Lisanna went quiet as I continued to explain everything.

"I've been feeling like this ever since I woke up from when I got knocked out back in Osia. It seems whenever I use my magic, I end up getting a strange fever. I don't know why, but... it just happens which is why I haven't joined up with Fairy Tail yet and why I didn't want to fight Natsu. The fact of the matter is I can't. Not in the condition I'm in. I didn't want to join or tell you guys because I didn't anyone to worry about me or hold you guys back. Especially Mira. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have kept it to myself."

"You should be," said Lisanna firmly. "You should've told us something sooner. We wouldn't have thought that you would hold us back."

"Really?"

"That's right! After all you're our best friend," said Elfman. "Of course we wouldn't think you would hold us back. We just wanted you to be with us."

"Yeah. In case you haven't noticed it's been kinda lonely without you when we would go on jobs," said Lisanna. "It's just not the same and I'm sure Mira feels the same way. She's just too stubborn and proud to show it."

"You guys..." I murmured feeling moved by their words. "Thank you... That means a lot to me."

Lisanna and Elfman smiled as they each took my hand squeezing it. "Of course. What are friends for?"

Then a doctor came into the room. He was a little old with black hair with a little bit of gray with glasses with a bushy beard to match.

"Excuse me children. I hate to cut this visit short, but I'm afraid that you all have to leave," she said. "I'm going to examine Mr. Willy now."

"Examine me? For what?" I asked.

"It's so that we can figure out the cause of the fevers you're experiencing," he said. "I'm just gonna give you a physical and then determine the cause of your fever.

"But... can't we stay a little longer?" asked Lisanna.

"Yeah. Please?" pleaded Elfman.

"Come on you two," said the doctor. "You have to let me do my job so I can help make your friend better."

Lisanna and Elfman looked at me worry written on their faces, but I smiled at them trying to look as reassuring as I could.

"She's right you two. I'll be OK. Once the doctor finds out what's wrong with me, he can make me better. Don't worry," I said. "I'll be out before you know it."

Lisanna and Elfman were reluctant, but they understood.

"OK then," Elfman said. "But you better come back soon."

"Yeah. Get better as soon as you can," said Lisanna.

Then the two of left the room, but not before taking one last look at me. The doctor then turned to me.

"Alright then. Let's have a look at you shall we?"

* * *

NO POV

After visiting Willy, Lisanna and Elfman headed back to the waiting room. A few of the other guild members were waiting for them. Even Makarov was there. When they saw them they got up on their feet.

"So how is he?" asked Erza.

"Is Willy gonna be alright?" asked Cana.

"We don't know yet," said Lisanna. "The doctor's checking him out as we speak."

"I just wish that we could have stay with him a little bit longer," said Elfman.

"I'm sure that he's fine," said Makarov. "All we can do for now is wait and see what the doctor says."

He looked around the room and he saw Mira sitting on a chair playing with the bangs in her hair. As she did, her foot was tapping impatiently on the floor.

"Mira. There's no cause for worry," said Makarov. "The doctor will find the cause of Willy's condition soon."

"Who's worried? I'm not," said Mira. "Willy's gonna be A-OK. No need to worry."

"Oh stop being so proud Mira," said Erza. "You have a right to be worried you know."

"Mind your own business Erza!" growled Mira tapping her foot more rapidly. "I'm not being proud about anything!"

"Well you sure could've fooled me," sighed Erza shrugging.

Just then she happened to see Natsu. He was still sitting with his head turned down hiding his face.

"Is something the matter Natsu?" she asked. "You seem down."

"Nothing," said Natsu with a pout. "I'm fine. I'm not worried about Willy either if that's what you're thinking."

"Ok... but you basically just said that something's wrong with you," said Erza flatly.

Then Gray came up to him and clonked him on the head.

"Hey! Fire for brains! Wake up!" he snapped.

"Yeow!" cried Natsu feeling his head. "What the heck was that for icy perv?!"

"For moping around like an idiot," said Gray. "What? You blaming yourself for what happened to Willy or something?"

Natsu flinched upon hearing that. "No! No way! Why would I be worried over something stupid like that?!"

"You tell us. You're the one overreacting," everyone in the room thought.

"Look Natsu, you can keep blaming yourself but it wasn't your fault," said Gray. "Willy has been sick for a while so your fight had nothing to do with it. So quit blaming alright?"

Natsu looked at Gray as if he said something like what his flavor or fire was. This wasn't like him at all. However Natsu turned away stubbornly.

"Since when does a cold heart perv like you care about me?" he grumped. "I'm just fine."

"What'd you say?" snapped Gray getting in Natsu's face. "Here I am getting trying to cheer you up and you go being a selfish brat!"

"Who are calling a brat?! You wanna go?" growled Natsu.

"That's enough!" Just before Natsu and Gray could start duking it out in the waiting room, Erza stepped in between them and pushed them away by their heads making their necks pop. "Honestly. Can't you guys stop fighting for two minutes?"

She then turned to Natsu. "I think what Gray was trying to say is to not worry. It wasn't your fault Natsu. You didn't know that Willy was sick and you shouldn't blame yourself."

Natsu looked at Erza and blushed wiping away his eyes trying to show that he wasn't crying. "OK. Whatever."

"Aww how cute..." cooed Mira seeing Natsu like this. "Please don't cry little Natsu."

"Mira don't be creepy," said Lisanna lightly bopping her arm.

"Well... I guess we'll have to wait till the doctor is done examining Willy," said Cana. "I just wish we could help him right now."

"I'm afraid there's nothing more we can do Cana. Hopefully the doctor can figure out the cause of Willy's condition and can do something about it," said Makarov.

"Will he be alright master?" asked Levy.

"I don't know my child. I don't know," replied Makarov. "All we can do for now is hope and pray."

* * *

 **An hour later...**

Everyone was still waiting. Makarov sat like how he usually did. Quiet and calm. Cana and Levy were playing cards to try and pass the time. Gray and Natsu were having another spat over something or other and Erza was there to make sure that they wouldn't tear each other apart. As for the Strauss siblings, Lisanna and Elfman were waiting by the door while Mira paced around the door.

Soon enough there was a small chime and the doors opened and the doctor came out. As soon as he did, everyone immediately turned their attention towards him.

"Excuse me," the doctor said. "But who is the guardian of the one called Willy?"

"That would be me," said Makarov.

"There's something that I must speak with you about regarding him," said the doctor. "May I?"

Makarov walked over to the doctor and the two spoke to each other in private. The children watched as their master spoke with the doctor. After a few minutes, the doctor left leaving Makarov with a complicated expression on his face. The children then went up to him.

"So? How did it go master?" asked Erza.

Makarov was silent for a brief moment before turning towards them.

"Well? Spit it out!" said Mira impatiently. "Is Willy gonna be OK or not?"

"Take it easy Mira," said Lisanna. "Let the master tell us."

"It's all right Lisanna," soothed Makarov. "It's only natural that she's worried."

He paused impressively before turning around towards them and speaking again.

"I'm afraid there's some good news and some bad news..." he said gravely. "Something is indeed wrong with Willy."

"Well what is it? Is he sick or something?" asked Gray.

"In a sense he is Gray," said Makarov. "The good news news the doctor has found the cause for Willy's fever episodes. It has to do with his magic power."

"His magic?"

"Yes. Apparently for some unknown reason, Willy has too much magic power inside of him which is the cause for his sudden fevers."

"Too much magic? How can too much magic power make you sick?" asked Levy.

"Hmmm... let's see..." hummed Makarov. "How can I explain it? OK. Think of it like this; you know how all human beings possess ethernano? Well all of us have an amount of ethernanao inside of us that determines how much magic power we have and can use. However if there's too much magic power inside of that container, the body can't compensate and therefore the person becomes severely ill and sick."

Natsu tilted his head looking utterly confused. To him, the master seemed to have spoken in another language completely.

"Uhh... Gramps I don't understand a single thing you just said," he said.

"Let me put this is a way that you can understand Natsu," said Erza. "Think of the magic power inside of us as a balloon of sorts. The balloon being the magic container and the air for ethernano. The more air you put into it the balloon inflates. However if you put too much into the balloon, it'll pop."

Natsu's face paled in horror when Erza said the word pop. "No! You mean Willy's gonna pop like a balloon!?"

"Hey! Don't even joke about that idiot!" snapped Mira. "Besides Willy's not a balloon! He's not gonna pop! Right Master?"

"I hate to say it... but Natsu's not too far off the mark," said Makarov. "There's so much magic power condensed in Willy's body that it's making him sick and unless something is done about it his fevers will only get worse."

"Seriously?! Then... that means... Willy might..." said Elfman but trailed off because he didn't want to say it out loud.

"No... no! That can't be!" said Lisanna. "Master. Can't the doctor cure Willy? I mean he must know a way to fix him right?"

Makarov solemnly lowered his head. "I'm afraid the doctor here doesn't know. He doesn't know anything about handling a case such as this one."

There was a long silence. Then MIra suddenly punched the door in a mixture of anger and despair.

"No! There's no way! That can't happen!" she said clenching her fist. "Willy can't die! He's our best friend! I can't let him die! I refuse to let that happen!"

"Calm down Mira," said Makarov. "I didn't say that Willy was going to die."

"But you were basically insinuating it!" she said. "You said it yourself! The doctor doesn't know how to treat him!"

"Yes. That may be so, but I didn't say that Willy's sickness wasn't treatable."

"Do you mean that there's a way to help him?" asked Levy.

"Yes. I just spoke with the doctor and he did tell me a way to treat him. However..."

Makarov hesitated, but then Erza asked. "Please tell us Master."

"All right then. The doctor told me that there's a facility that specializes in cases like these. In order for Willy to be treated for his condition, he has to be transferred to that facility."

"What?!" everyone said.

* * *

WILLY'S POV

After an hour passed, the doctor had finished checking me out to see what was wrong with me. After that he explained to me the situation regarding my sudden fevers.

 ** _"Your magic is too powerful for your to handle which is the cause of your sudden fevers. If left unchecked your body won't be able to take it and you'll only get worse. We don't know how to treat them, but I know a place that specializes in cases. However I know you probably don't want to leave due to being so close to your friends so I'm giving you some time to think about it. Let me know and I'll arrange for you to be transferred there right away."_**

Now that I knew what was going on with me, it really got me thinking about a lot of stuff. Mostly about what the doctor had just told me. Once again I was faced with a predicament of a decision. I lied down on the bed letting out a soft sigh as I stared up at the ceiling above me.

 _"What am I gonna do? I want to get better, but... at the same time I can't just leave. I'd be leaving all of my friends behind. Especially the Strauss siblings. I can't just leave them...but... I can't keep going on like this either."  
_

Then there was a small knock and the door opened. I looked towards the door to see that Mira had just entered the room.

"Hey..." she said quietly.

"Hey," I answered weakly back.

"Sorry I didn't come sooner," she said as she came up to my bedside. How are you feeling?".

"Still feverish and a little weak, but alive. More or less," I replied. "I'm sorry to make you worry."

"No. There's no need to apologize," said Mira holding my hand. "It wasn't your fault you got sick."

"But I should have told you and you guys about my condition sooner," I said. "I didn't anyone to worry about me so I kept it to myself. I-"

Before I could say anything else, Mira held up her hand cutting me off.

"It's OK Willy. Really. Remember? I did the same thing," she said. "Besides if you keep apologizing you're gonna make me feel embarrassed."

"All right then," I chuckled. "I won't."

"So... has the doctor told you? About your condition I mean?" asked Mira.

"Yes. He told me that in order for me to be cured... I have to leave Magnolia," I said. "But... to be honest... I don't know if I should or not. If I go that would mean that I would have to leave you and the others behind."

"Oh don't worry about us," smiled Mira. "We'll be OK. You just go and get better."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Don't worry. It's not like we're gonna miss you or anything. After all you're just going to get treated. No big deal."

"Mira you don't have to force yourself to be brave you know," I said. "I can tell that you're worried about me."

Mira flinched a little and then went silent biting her lip and turned away from me. I noticed that her shoulders were trembling slightly. When she looked back at me, I saw that her shining blue eyes were dewy looking like she was about to burst into tears.

"Guess you know me pretty well then," she said. "OK. Fine. I don't want you leave, but... if you don't go... then you won't get better. Geez... why do things have to be so complicated?"

I now felt sorry for Mira. There was no doubt in my mind that she was worried about me. I held back her hand giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"It's OK Mira. It'll all be OK," I said.

"Yeah I know," said Mira. "but I'm still scared... what if... what if you don't come back? What if you..."

"I won't," I interrupted. "I promise you as as soon as I'm cured, I'll come back to Magnolia and join Fairy Tail. We'll go out on jobs and have other adventures together with all our friends as well as your brother and sister."

"Really? You promise?"

"Yeah. As a matter of fact to show proof of my promise to you..."

I took my necklace which was placed next to me on the counter and handed it to her. Mira stared at me and then stared back at the necklace.

"Wait... Willy what are you...?"

"As proof of my promise and so you and I will never forget, I want you to hold onto my necklace for safekeeping."

"But... this necklace is your mom's right? I can't keep this."

"Yes you can. After all I trust you. I know you'll keep it safe for me until I get back. Until then, this necklace will symbolize our promise to each other. Keep with you always OK?"

Mira held my necklace tight in her hand and she looked at me smiling a little.

"OK. It's a promise. You better not break it. Otherwise I'll reap you a new one."

"I won't," I said smiling

* * *

NO POV

The doctor from before was peeping into the room where Willy and Mira were in. He had overheard everything the two had just said and he was delighted. He then walked away from the room and went into his office locking the door behind him. He walked over to his desk where a communication lacrima stood on his desk. He went over the lacrima and activated the magic within it.

"Hello? Sir? Are you there?" the doctor said to the lacrima. "I have some news to report."

The lacrima at first showed nothing but static. Then a man's voice came through the lacrima.

"What is it?" asked the voice gruffly. "I'm in the middle of something at the moment."

"I thought that you would like to know something sir," said the doctor. "The boy you have an eye on? Well he has given his consent to be transferred to you."

"Is that so?" said the voice. "That's good news."

"If... may I be so bold to ask sir," said the doctor. "Just what is it about this boy has captured your interest?"

"Let's just say I have need of his power," said the voice. "I have witnessed his power first hand and once I saw it I knew that I had to have his power for myself. He will be a great asset to me and my cause."

"I see," said the doctor. "I will make sure to send him to you as soon as possible."

"Good," said the voice. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to my work. I'll make preparations for his arrival."

The lacrima then turned off and the doctor left his office and went back to his duties.

* * *

 _Hey there you guys! It's now official! I made my own Wikia page for my fanfiction!_

 _Feel free to check it out on my front page! I'm still working out the kinks though._

 _Anyway, you liked what you read or you wanna give me some tips and ideas feel free to message me or give me a review!_

 _Dragoman out!_


	31. Chapter 31 Saying Goodbye

_Here's another chapter and another update for my fanfiction! So far my story has over 70 followers and the reviews are really helping me too!_

 _Thanks a bunch and keep it up! Help me spread the word for this story so more Fairy Tail fans can read and love it!_

 _Also in other news, the Fairy Tail manga has finally come to an end! Way to go Hiro! You did good my friend! Now we only have to worry about the anime!  
_

 _Until then, enjoy and happy reading!_

* * *

Chapter 31

Saying Goodbye

For the next couple of days, I had to stay at Magnolia Hospital until I was to be transferred to the facility. The doctor told me that some people were going to be arriving in a couple days to pick me up to transfer me there. Until then I had to try and bear with my fever. It really sucked having to sit there feeling hot and weak in agony. The doctor even gave me some medicine to try and ease the feeling of my fever, but it served only as a temporary fix. It lasted for a couple of hours or so before my fever started to spike up again.

It was nothing short of agony, but I sucked it up as best I could. I had to be brave for the Strauss siblings and Fairy Tail's sake. Hopefully when I'm cured from my condition, I would get back to them as soon as I could. Then I would keep my promise to Mira and join Fairy Tail. It made think if I did the right thing by giving Mira my necklace as proof of my promise to her. Then I thought that it was the right thing to do. Mira's been one of my closest friends along with Elfman and Lisanna for a long time now and I trust her a lot. I knew that she would keep it safe. I just wish that she was with me right now. In fact I wish all of my friends were here with me. It felt kinda lonely without them. They stopped by to visit me every now and again, but the visits had to be kept short due to the doctor's orders.

I was lying down in bed suffering from my fever as usual. My forehead was a even a little sweaty. In fact... I'm pretty sure my clothes were sweaty too even though I was wearing nothing, but an scrub.

"Man... I'm hot..." I said aloud. "I wish that I could wear my normal clothes again. This is so uncomfortable..."

Then there was a knock at the door and the doctor came in.

"Hey there Willy," the doctor said closing the door behind him. "How are you feeling?"

"Hot, sweaty, and tired," I said.

The doctor chuckled as he took a cloth and dabbed the sweat off my forehead. "Well that's to be expected. Anyway, I stopped by to tell you some good news."

"And what good news would that be?" I asked.

"You're going to be transferred to the facility tomorrow morning."

I looked up at the doctor sitting up. "What?! Seriously?!"

Then I felt a pang of weakness causing me to lie back down on the bed.

"Now, now Willy. No need to get excited now," said the doctor.

"But is it true? I'm gonna be transferred?"

"Yes," the doctor said. "I just contacted the people there and they said that they're ready for you."

"That's great. Maybe now I can get treated and get this lousy fever over and done with," I said.

"I'm sure that you would love that," said the doctor letting out a throaty chuckle.

I couldn't help but chuckle a little myself. Then I looked at the doctor looking serious.

"Be serious with me doc. Will this facility really be able to cure me?" I asked.

The doctor looked at me smiling underneath his beard. "Yes. The people there will be able to treat you and then you'll be back to your old self in no time."

"You mean that?"

"Yes I do."

"That's good," I said giving a weak but happy smile. "The sooner I'm cured the better."

"Yes," said the doctor. "Until then you just take it easy and rest up. I would also take the chance to say goodbye to your friends before you leave."

"I will," I said.

The doctor then straightened up. "Good. Now open up. You gotta take some medicine now."

He got a bottle of medicine and poured some on a spoon. I reluctantly opened my mouth as the doctor inserted the spoon. The taste of it was so bitter I couldn't help but groan in disgust.

"Ugh. I hate taking that stuff," I said making a sour face.

"I know, but it's the only medicine I can provide you to ease your fever for now," said the doctor. "You'll just have to make the best of it."

"Alright."

Then the doctor left the room shutting the door behind him leaving me by myself again. I couldn't help, but let out a groan.

"Man... I hope that I can get treated soon. At least that way I don't have to take anymore of that medicine. I hate the way it tastes," I groaned.

* * *

NO POV

After the doctor left the room he went about his daily duties. As the walked down the hall, he thought back to when he was in his office before earlier today.

 _The doctor had come into his office when he saw the lacrima on his desk flashing. He knew immediately who it was. He looked around making sure that he was alone and then shut the door behind him. Then he quickly went over to the lacrima and turned it on showing the same static picture as before.  
_

 _"I'm here sir," he said. "What is it?"_

 _"It's finally time," said the voice._

 _"You mean-"_

 _"Yes. All the preparations are in place," said the voice. "I trust that you know what you need to do correct?"  
_

 _"Yes sir," said the doctor._

 _"Make sure that no one knows about this. Understood?"_

 _"Understood."_

The doctor reached into his pocket and took out a small vial with a clear liquid.

"One taste of this, he'll be sleeping like a baby and he won't know anything that's happening around him," he thought to himself.

He smirked slyly to himself. Then he heard a voice call out to him.

"Excuse me. Doctor?"

The doctor quickly hid the vial behind him and turned around and he saw a nurse walk up to him.

"Doctor. These are some kids with two adults here to see Mr. Falconer," said the nurse. "Should I allow them through?"

"Yes," said the doctor. "Please allow them through and also tell them that I just received word about his transfer. Today will be the final day for him in Magnolia Hospital."

"Very well sir," said the nurse. "I will show them in immediately."

And then the nurse left. as he put the vial back in his pocket and continued on his way walking down the hall and getting back to work.

* * *

WILLY'S POV

I continued to lie on the bed still feeling my taste buds now feeling like they were writhing in agony from taking the medicine.

"Bleeh... Man I hate taking that stuff..." I groaned. "I think I'd much rather be dripping with sweat."

Not only did the taste of the medicine still linger in my mouth, but it also made me feel thirsty too. In fact a cup of water would really sound good right about now. Then I heard a knock on the door. The door then opened and in stepped in a nurse followed by group a familiar faces which made me brighten up immediately. Along with the nurse came Natsu, Gray, Erza, Cana, and Levy came in along with Macao and Wakaba.

"Hey you guys."

"Hey there Willy," said Macao. "Glad to see you hanging in there."

"How are you feeling?" asked Erza.

"I've been better. Other than feeling hot and having to constantly take medicine, I'm hanging in there," I replied.

"Hehe. Look at the bright side Willy," said Wakaba. "At least you have the chance to be surround by the hot nurses here."

"Hey now Wakaba be serious," said Macao. "Willy's a tad too young to be thinking about that sort of thing. He's not a man like you and me."

"I know," chuckled Wakaba. "I was just kidding around."

I looked around trying to see if a certain trio was with them, but I couldn't see them.

"Hey. Does anyone know where Mira, Lisanna, and Elfman are?" I asked.

"I think they went on a job," said Cana. "Either that or they had something going on."

"Oh. I see," I said sounding a little disappointed.

"But don't worry," said Levy. "I'm sure that they'll come by to see you."

"Yeah. Especially since that it's gonna be your last day here," said Gray.

"Yeah," I said smiling a little... until it registered in my mind what Gray had just said. "Wait... how do you..."

"We just heard from the nurse. She told us that today was going to be the last day before you would leave to be transferred," explained Erza. "Which is why we all came here and got you a little something." She then nudged at Natsu's arm. "Go on Natsu."

"OK. Here you go Willy. This is for you!"

Natsu then came forward and gave me a card. I took the card and opened it. Inside it said 'Get well and come back soon!' It also had the signatures of everyone in the guild. Even Makarov's signature was on the card. I couldn't help but let a smile work it's way onto my lips.

"Thanks you guys. This is so nice," I said. "I'll treasure this card."

Then Natsu came up to me. "Hey Willy. Can I ask you something? It's really important."

"What is it Natsu?"

"As soon as you get better and you come back to the guild... I want to fight ya again!"

Everyone looked at Natsu as if he said something awkward including me, but Natsu continued on talking.

"Just hear me out for a minute. I know that you were sick and everything and I know it's partially my fault for everything, but I wanna fight you when you're up to full strength! It'll be just me and you one on one and I don't plan on losing! If... that's OK with you. Also I'm very sorry! Please forgive me."

Natsu then bowed leaned forward as his way of making an apology. I stared at Natsu. Then I smiled putting a hand on his head making him look up at me. "First of all Natsu, it wasn't your fault. You have nothing to be sorry for. It was mostly mine for not telling anyone about my condition so there's nothing to forgive. Secondly we never really had a chance to finish our fight so... I accept your challenge."

Natsu along with everyone else in the room gaped at me in shock.

"Really?"

"Yeah. As soon as I'm cured, you and I will have a match together," I said. "Just the two of us and then we'll decide who's the stronger dragon slayer. That's a promise."

Natsu eyes sparkled and his face blushed a little with admiration while everyone else couldn't help but smile for the pink head. Natsu then grinned and held up his fist. I smiled back at him and returned his fist with one of my own. The two of us then fist bumped as a way of signifying our promise to each other.

After a while, we all chatted about what was going on in the guild and other things. It made me forget about everything that I was going through and about leaving them as well as Magnolia behind, but I was OK. As long as I had friends like them waiting for me, the days of me getting better would seem like minutes.

Speaking of friends...

Eventually it was now in afternoon and the clock was at a quarter till one.

"Well then kids," said Macao. "What do you say we all get out of Willy's hair so he can rest?"

"But..." My eyes widened a little. "Wait... can't you stay just a little bit longer? You don't have to-"

I began to protest, but Erza quickly interrupted also giving me a look that she will not have it.

"No buts Willy. You need your rest. You're gonna be needing it," she said.

I was about to protest even more, but then I began to feel warm again and my body began to have a slight weak feeling. It was as if my body was trying to agree with Erza. But still... Then Natsu and Gray came close to me both speaking in a low voice so Erza couldn't hear them.

"If I was you Willy, I'd take Erza's advice and do what she says," said Gray.

"Yeah. Because if you don't, Erza will turn into a scary monster and stuff," added Natsu fearfully.

"Did you two say something?" snapped Erza.

Natsu and Gray immediately shrunk back shaking their heads furiously sweating with fear. "No! Nothing! Absolutely nothing!" they said.

"I have to agree on Erza on this one," said Macao. "A kid like you should get all the rest you need right now. Don't worry. We ain't gonna be saying goodbye or nothing."

"Yeah. We know that you'll be coming back so don't worry," said Wakaba. "Once you get back, we'll all have a party or something."

"Oh. OK."

"And don't worry about Mira and others," said Cana. "They'll be here to see you before you know it."

"Yeah. I hope so."

Then with the exceptions of Macao and Wakaba, everyone then gave me a hug before they walked out the door. I really didn't want them to leave, but I knew that I had to let them go. I couldn't just keep indulging them forever. I sighed as I lied back on my bed before looking up at the ceiling.

 _"Man... it feels kinda lonely even more now..."_

As the day went on, I managed to get a half-way decent lunch and drank plenty of water and then I lied there in bed reading a book. It was some kind of children's book about fairy tales of all things. It was OK as far as passing time goes, but I couldn't help but lose interest. It was a lot more fun when I was reading it with Lisanna and Elfman. Speaking of, I couldn't help but miss Mira, Lisanna, and Elfman a little bit. It made me wish that they were around so I could see them one more time before I left.

I really wanted to see them. More than anything in the world. As I lied down in bed, I began to feel drowsy my eyelids growing heavy. Eventually I dozed off thinking that it couldn't hurt to have a couple of Zs.

* * *

As I continued to sleep I could hear the sound of the door opening. Then I could hear a voice calling out to me.

"Hey Willy. Are you awake?" said the voice.

I opened up a sleepy eye and then I sat up rubbing my eyes and looked at towards where I heard the voice. When my eyes were clear, I could see the doctor standing in the doorway. The room was lit with the low lights of the sunset as I saw up yawning.

"I am now," I said sleepily.

"Good," said the doctor. "You have a couple of visitors that want to see you."

He then sidestepped out of the doorway and my eyes then suddenly widened.

"Mira! Elfman! Lisanna!"

Sure enough, the three of them walked into the room coming straight at my side.

"Hey there Willy!" said Lisanna rushing to my side. "Did you miss us?"

"Of course I did," I said. "I was wondering where you guys were all day."

"Sorry we took so long to get here," said Elfman.

"We kinda had some jobs we needed to do," added Lisanna.

"It's no problem at all," I said. "I'm just glad that you guys are all here. Tell me what you guys did today."

"Nothing special," said Mira. "We just went out on a couple jobs and made some jewel."

"What jobs did you do?"

"Nothing special. We just did some normal jobs. Basic errands and other stuff," said Elfman. "It's hard work, but it was actually kinda fun."

"Yeah. Although there was that one job when we had to drive out some wild boars. Elfman ended up riding one by accident," said Lisanna giggling a little. "It was pretty funny!"

"Hey! I almost died back there you know!" grumped Elfman.

Lisanna couldn't help but laugh and then I laughed too followed by Elfman and Mira. The four of us then kept on talking about what they did until soon the sun was beginning to set. I didn't want this moment to end ever. Especially since this was gonna be my final day. Then the nurse came in giving a small knock on the door.

"Excuse me kids, but visiting hours are almost over," she said. "You have a few more minutes."

The mood suddenly took a turn. We all looked at each other and there was a long silence. Then I spoke trying to break the silence.

"I'm really glad you guys came to see me," I said quietly. "I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to see you guys in time."

"We know," said Mira. "We just heard from the doctor. You're going to be transferred tonight right?"

"Yeah."

"Well we're not worried," said Lisanna. "That means that you'll be able to get well now right?"

"Yeah. I know. I'm eager to go, but... at the same time I can't help but worry and miss you guys."

There was a long silence. Then I heard some sniffling in the room. I looked to see that Elfman was the source of the sniffling. Elfman quickly wiped his eyes.

"Sorry," he said. "I'm trying hard not to cry right now, but... I can't help it."

"Oh Elfman..."

"Elfman come on... We promised each other we wouldn't cry. We... promised we send Willy off with a smile," said Lisanna.

She was trying hard, but she too was on the brink of tears. They were both trying to be brave for my sake and that made me feel like I was about to cry too, but I kept my tears in. I then embraced the two of them in a hug.

"It'll be OK guys," I said in a soothing tone. "I'm gonna miss you guys too. It's OK to cry."

And that was it. Lisanna and Elfman embraced Willy back and they both began to cry in each of my shoulders. All I could do and hug them tightly. Mira stood there quietly watching the two of them let out their feelings. After a while the two them calmed down.

"You two feel better now?" I asked.

"Yeah. We're fine now," said Elfman.

"Sorry about that," said Lisanna. "We probably look like a bunch of babies."

"No. Not at all," I said. "It's only natural."

"We just don't know how long you'll be gone and we might not ever see you again," said Lisanna.

"We will," I said. "I'm sure that we will. After all I have a lot to look forward to when I come back. There's no way I'm gonna not come back. Until then try not to miss me too much and wait for me to come back OK?"

The two nodded drying their eyes.

"You promise that you'll come back?" asked Lisanna.

"Yes. I promise," I said. "I promise on my honor as a dragon slayer."

"All right then," said Elfman. "I guess... this is it then. You make sure to come back OK?"

"I will."

I then gave them one more tender and loving hug and then the three started heading out the door. Then I called out to Mira. "Mira. Can I speak to you alone for a moment?"

Mira turned around and then went over to me. When I looked at her, I noticed something. She was wearing something around her neck and I knew what it was.

"Is that... what I think it is?" I asked.

Mira nodded. "Yes. It's your necklace. Figured I'd keep it safe for you this way. If... you don't want me to wear it, I can take it off."

"No. It's OK," I said smiling. "It's fine. Besides I think it suits you." Then I turned serious. "Mira. Since I'm promising a lot of things, I want you to promise me something."

"What is it?" asked Mira.

"I want you to promise me... that no matter how hard things get... no matter what happens to me or your siblings... promise me... that you or your siblings never forget to smile."

Mira looked at me like I had said something out of the blue, but I continued to look at her.

"I'm serious. Your brother and your sister are gonna miss a lot and I have a feeling that you will just. I just want to let you know that even though I won't be around, I'll always be there in your hearts as long as you remember me. Live on and always smile for me. Sorry if it sounds corny, but-"

Then Mira cut me off by embracing me in a tight hug.

"It's not corny at all," she said quietly. "In fact... you sounded kinda cool just now."

"Really?"

"Yeah. And... I promise. I'll do just that... for you."

I then returned the hug and the two of us stayed like that for a few seconds. Then the doctor came in. When he saw the two of us, he chuckled.

"Ah. Young love. Makes me wish I could go back to those days."

Mira then immediately let go blushing to the tips of her ears. "What?! No way! We're just friends! I was just saying goodbye!"

The doctor chuckled as did I. Then Mira looked at me one more time.

"Well then... I guess this is it," she said.

"Yeah. Take care of yourself Mira. And... I'll be back soon OK?"

"I know you will. Bye."

Mira slowly walked out the door and then left the room.

* * *

NO POV

As Mira left the room, her brother and her sister were standing there staring intently at her.

"Um... what? Something wrong?" asked Mira.

"Oh nothing. Just that you were being all lovey dovey with Willy back there."

"I wasn't being lovey dovey!" Mira said. "You know what? Come on. Let's go. Visiting hours are over."

She then walked ahead of them leaving Lisanna snickering and Elfman looking puzzled.

"I don't get it. Why does Mira always get like that when you tease her like that?" asked Elfman.

"Oh Elfman. You'll find out eventually," said Lisanna. "Besides it's better than having her sad about Willy."

"What do you mean?"

"Like I said, you'll see in time. In the meantime, let's go home."

"But wait! Lisanna!"

Before Elfman could ask what she meant, Lisanna had already ran ahead to catch up with Mira. Elfman felt more puzzled still even scratching his head.

"Man. I'll never understand girls," he said as he went to catch up with his sisters.

* * *

WILLY'S POV

"I see your friends stopped by to see you one more time," said the doctor.

"Yeah. I'm gonna miss them, but I can't wait to get back to them," I said. "Once I'm better, I'm gonna join their guild and then we'll have lots of fun together. Taking jobs, going on adventures... I can't wait."

"Sounds like a lot of fun," said the doctor. "But until then, you best get better first."

"I will."

"Good. Now before you get some sleep, I want to take some more medicine," said the doctor.

"Aww come on. Do I have to?"

"Yes you do. I know you don't like taking it, but it might be the final time you have to take it before you're transferred. I want to make sure you're comfortable and your fever in under control."

"Oh alright."

The doctor then got the medicine from his coat and put it on a spoon and gave me the dose. "I should warn you that you might feel a little drowsy, but don't worry. It's to help you sleep."

"But... won't I need to be awake to be taken to the facility?"

"Don't worry. Leave that to me. Just try and get some sleep and let the medicine do it's job."

"OK. Whatever you say doctor," I said. "By the way... you mind if I get a glass of water?I need something to wash down the taste."

"Sure thing," said the doctor.

He then went to fetch me a glass water and I drank it down. Then I started to once more feel drowsy letting out a small yawn.

"Sounds like the medicine is starting to take an effect," said the doctor.

"Yeah. I guess so," I said. "But... won't I need to be awake to be taken to the facility?"

"Don't worry. Leave that to me. Just try and get some sleep and let the medicine do it's job."

"All right. By the way... thanks for everything doctor. You've been so kind to me ever since I came here," I said feeling my eyelids grow heavy. "I just want you to know that I... appreciate... everything... you've done for me."

The doctor smiled. "Well thank you for your appreciation."

"And... thank...you... for giving me...a second chance..."

My eyes then closed as I drifted off to sleep once more. This would be the final time that I would see Magnolia and all of it's people on this night.

* * *

NO POV

As soon as Willy was asleep, the doctor then left the room shutting the door behind him. Then he headed back towards the office. As he walked, he made sure that there was no one around. Luckily all the doctors and the nurses had went home for the day.

"Good," he said. "Now's the perfect time."

He then went to his office planning to go to the lacrima in it to communicate with his boss, but when he entered he found a surprise waiting for him. There in front of his desk was the young man with the skull staff. When he saw him, the doctor nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Sir! I-I-I didn't expect you to be here!" the doctor stammered.

The man looked at him coldly. "Is the boy ready?"

"Yes sir," said the doctor. "I made him take a medicine to put him asleep, so that he'll be obvious to everything. He's all set and good to go."

"Take me to him," said the man.

"Yes sir."

The doctor then led the man to the room where Willy was sleeping and when the man saw him, he couldn't help but smile. As Willy slept he traced his chin as if he was touching something precious.

"So this is him," said the man. "This will be my next specimen. Just looking at him makes me more fascinated by the minute."

He then tapped his staff lightly on the ground and a greenish glow began to surround Willy. Then he began to float in the air obvious as to what was going on as he slept.

"I will be taking him now," said the man. "Thank you for your cooperation."

"Thank you sir," said the doctor lightly bowing.

"Will you be coming back with me?" asked the man. "Now that you're job is done you have no reason to stay here anymore. We could use your help back at the Bureau."

"I will join you as soon sir. I just have to close a few ends on my side," said the doctor. "But believe me when I say that I will come back with you soon enough sir."

"I'll be off then," said the man as he walked the room with Willy floating behind him. He looked at Willy and then he smiled darkly. "You're mine now boy," he thought. "Your power will be one of the necessary keys I need for my quest for power."

He then walked down the hall with Willy floating and following behind him. Eventually he along with Willy vanished into the night unbeknownst to anyone or anything.

* * *

 _Willy has been taken! What's going to happen to him now!?_

 _Stay tuned for the next chapter to find out!_

 _If you liked what you read or you want to leave me a tip or review, feel free to let me now!_

 _Dragoman out!_


	32. Chapter 32 Bureau of Magic Development

_Here's the next update for my fanfiction! Thank you all very much for the reviews! Keep them coming!_

 _Anyhoo, here's the next chapter of my fanfiction._

 _Enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter 32

The Bureau of Magic Development

In the Land of Ivsan, in a rocky desert with no signs of life or civilization in the area, a lone building stood. It was tall, white, several feet tall, looking composed of metal and it's shape looked just like a crescent moon leaning on one side with black cable like edges holding it up. It was also white and at it's base a red parts protruding outwards in several directions all over with many more, slender parts jutting outwards throughout its perimeter looking like antennas or pipes also giving the build an otherworldly look.

Inside the building was just as strange. There were corridors with walls curving outwards making them look larger looking like it was something from a space movie. The walls and ceilings were crossed at regular intervals by greenish black frames with flat lamps in the middle part of the walls. There was also a mildly thin black floor with various green sized spots and the doors were curved with arched edges covered by strange green stuff which could be opened or closed with a hole so people to access the rooms whenever they liked.

In one of these rooms in the building something was happening there. The room comprised of a large round and deep pit. Hanging above it was a very large metal structure looking like the sun joined with a crescent moon making a strange frightening looking face, eyes glowing with a bright yellow light. In the middle of this pit was a little girl. She had fair white skin, wore a white scrub, and had short dark-purple hair. She was suspended in the air with strange spider web like threads wrapped around her limbs and connected to her head.

The girl pulled on the wires trying to break herself free from them, but couldn't

"Please... no more..." she sobbed. "I don't wanna do this... it hurts so much..."

Then lightning shockwaves colored purple began traveling along the wires eventually coming to the girl. The girl screamed in pain as she was shocked by the shockwaves. While this was happening, some people were watching over the girl making sure that she was alive completely ignoring her screams of agony. This went on and on for a few minutes until the shock waves stopped. The girl's body went limp and smoked like she had just came out of the oven twitching from the shock.

Then the someone entered the room. It was the same tall dark skinned man from earlier. This time he was wearing different attire which comprised of a silver uniform with gold trims with a white cloak around his shoulders with a medal that was red with a green triangle with a white dot in the middle.

"How is she doing?" he asked.

"She's a remarkable vessel sir," said a man. "All of our previous subjects we had before pale in comparison to her."

"That's to be expected," said the man. "She is after all the daughter of Ur. Rumor has it that Ur herself has power that as great as one of the Ten Wizard Saints. However..."

"However what sir?"

"I might have found a specimen that should probably be just as powerful as she is if not more," said the man.

"Is that true sir?"

"Yes and just like the girl, this one too is a very special specimen. One with abilities that I intended to use to achieve my goal. Which is why I want you to examine out our new subject as soon as he wakes up. Make sure he is treated so that we can start testing him right away. Is that understood?"

"Yes sir," the staff members replied.

"As for the girl continue the testing," continued the man. "This time I want you to increase the power up to five-hundred percent. Perform magic infusion at hourly intervals and don't ease up even if she screams at the top of her lungs."

"Yes sir."

"Good. Now I'm off to discuss some... negotiations with a acquaintance of mine. I'll will return soon to check on our subjects."

And with that, the man turned his heel and walked away disappearing into the air while the other people resumed the testing on the poor little girl.

* * *

 **WILLY'S POV**

I was sleeping soundly not knowing anything that was going on due to the medicine the doctor gave me. Everything was pitch black and quiet, Then I felt a light hit my eyelids. I grumbled sleepily and turned my head to the side away from the source. Then I heard the sounds of several footsteps and strange whirring sounds.

The sounds were so strange and new to me, that my eyes couldn't help but flutter open as I woke up. I sleepily sat up my eyes half open and my vision blurry. I let out a small yawn and rubbed my eyes.

"What's going on here?" I mumbled sleepily. "Can't somebody turn down that noise?"

I rubbed my eyes to get the sleepiness out of them allowing my vision to become clearer. Then my eyes suddenly snapped open. The light was coming from a window on the ceiling above my head, but that wasn't the cause of my shock. I suddenly had found myself in another room unlike before. The room's walls were white with the floor being black with blue spots of different sizes. The bed I was lying down on now had a simple design with an black iron headboard. To the right of the room was a small bookshelf with old books that look like they haven't been touched for a long time.

One thing was for sure, I was definitely not in Magnolia anymore.

 _"Where... where the heck am I?"_

Then the door emitting a strangle warbling sound opened and in walked in three people. Two women and one man. They all were wearing strange outfits comprised of white uniforms with gold trims, a brown belt around their waists, black colored boots as well as gloves, and silver cloaks with a green triangle in the back looking like an eye, and on their heads they wore white hats with a red scarf hiding their faces with the same green triangle symbol in the middle.

As soon as I saw them I couldn't help but jump a little. Then one of the women spoke to me.

"Good morning little one," she said. "You sleep well?"

"Um... yeah," I said still feeling a little uneasy my hands tensing up and squeezing a handful of sheets.

"There's no need to be afraid," said the woman. "After all, you were transferred to our facility so you can get better."

"Wait... I'm already ? Already? When? How?"

"That doesn't matter now," said the other woman. "What matters is that you're here now and we intend to take good care of you to make sure that you're better and your magic is strengthened and stabilized."

"I see," I said relaxing a little. "Sorry. I kinda got a little scared."

"That's understandable," said the woman. "But like I said there's no need to be afraid. We're gonna make you better no matter what OK?"

The tension now left my hands completely and I gave a shy and tiny smile.

"Thank you," I said. "It really means a lot to me."

"You're quite welcome," said the first. "Now then, it's time to get started."

"Get started? Started for what?" I asked tilting my head.

"Fixing your magic power of course," said the other woman. "You do want to be cured don't you?"

I couldn't help, but look at the woman in surprise as to what she had just told me. "Wait... right now? But... why so soon?"

"We have to make sure that you're cured as soon as possible so you don't get any worsening symptoms," explained the first woman.

"So we're gonna take care of your issue right now and get your magic under control," said the second woman. "Strike while the iron's hot as they say."

"There's a change of clothes on the side of the bed," said the man. "Please change into them and we'll be back shortly."

And with that, the people left the room leaving through the opening closing it behind them. Needless to say that this was a lot of things, but mostly sudden and surprising. I mean one minute I was at Magnolia's hospital and then the next minute I'm in the new facility. Not to mention I was going to be treated right away and I only just woke up.

"I don't know if I should be nervous or excited," I said to myself. "Either way I'm finally gonna be able to get rid of this fever for good!"

I fully sat up on my bed and stood up testing my body. I felt a little weak still due to my fever, but I still had the strength to stand up and walk. I then looked to the side of the bed and I saw the change of clothes the people had told me to wear. It was another scrub like the one I had on, but this one was colored completely white with teal trims. As soon as I finished dressing myself I went over to the door. It looked to be like a wall, so I didn't exactly know how to open it, so I knocked lightly on it.

"Um... excuse me. I'm finished."

The door then opened and I found just the woman standing in the doorway.

"Very good," she said. "Now then, right this way."

I stepped out into the hallway as the woman led me down to it. The floor was now a green color and everything around seem to look so different now. It was like I had stepped into a different world. As we walked down the hall, various other men and women passed by us busily at work.

"Whoa... what is this place?" I wondered aloud. "It's like some kind of a factory combined with a doctor's office."

"This is the Bureau of Magic Development," said the woman. "It's an incredible facility with state of the art magical technology that helps us device all sorts of magic spells."

"And do you use this to help people like me?" I asked.

"Yes. Most definitely," said the woman. "Especially people like you."

As we both walked down the hallway, I couldn't help but admire how strange and interesting everything was, but at the same time some part of me felt a little nervous being in a strange place like this. Eventually we came to another room.

"Please lie down on the examination table and wait please," said the woman. "Some people will be with you shortly to examine you and then treat you."

I walked into the room and the door then shut behind me. I then looked around. This room was just like the doctor's room, but this room was something different. The floor was black just like outside and the room I was in, but the spots were now yellow. In the middle of this room was a examination table with a blue sheet. It definitely had the look the look of a doctor's office. However it had the feel of some kind of lab because on the counter was various vials each holding different types of liquid.

"Man... this is kinda creepy," I thought.

I went over to the examination table and hopped on top of it. It felt kinda firm, but it also felt soft as well. As I sat there and waited I couldn't help but feel a little excited and nervous. Mostly because I was finally going to be rid of this lousy fever. I also couldn't stop thinking about going back to Magnolia and joining my friends in Fairy Tail and fulfilling my promises to my friends.

"This is it," I thought looking at my hands. "I'm finally gonna be cured. Once I am, I'll head straight back Magnolia and then join Fairy Tail and I'll be able to be with my friends again."

Suddenly I heard something outside the room. It sounded like scream. A scream coming from somewhere in a different part of the building. Someone screaming in agony. I immediately froze and went over to the door. I put an ear on it listening to the screams outside.

"What... what is that?" I thought.

Just then the door opened and in entered another woman with a man holding a clipboard wearing with the same attire as the other people in the mask were.

"Pardon us sir," said the woman. "Are you Willy Falconer?"

I slowly nodded my head as the two men entered.

"Then you must be the one that is in need to be treated," said the man. "We're going to examine and treat you now."

"Um... OK," I said still feeling a little uneasy.

"There's no cause to be afraid," said the woman. "We're just going to examine you to see if you're body's on the up and up and then we'll treat you after that."

"Everything is going to be OK," said the man. "Just leave it all to us OK?

I felt tense and I was feeling a little nervous, but then I plucked up courage and answered them with a tiny nod. Then the woman came up to me and put something around my neck. It appeared to be some kind of collar which was colored black and had a small gem in front of it.

"What's this for?" I asked curiously.

"This something to monitor your pulse and heart rate," said the woman. "Please lie down now."

She lightly pushed me down on the examination bed and I let her until I was lying down completely. This made me feel a little bit uncomfortable, but I stayed quiet and let the doctors do their job. The woman then came up to me and began the examination. The woman took off her black gloves and replaced them with rubber gloves. Then took out a stethoscope and placed it on my chest under my scrub. My body jumped a little from the cold metal being on my skin. The woman then listened to my heartbeat moving from various parts of my chest.

"Breathe in deeply for me please," she said.

I did so by taking a deep breath and slowly let it out. Then the nurse felt my arms and making them bend and move. It seemed like she was testing my joints and muscles making sure that they were OK and moving. She then felt my legs holding them help and bending both of them testing them as well. The man stood aside writing something down on his clipboard observing as I was being examined.

"Now then, please sit up now."

I did as she asked and sat up. She then put the stethoscope on my back listening to my heart again.

"Take another deep breath."

I did so and she once again listened to my heartbeat. She moved the stethoscope all over my back my body shivering from the cold metal touch on my back. When she was done, she examined me in other ways. Blood pressure, the tongue stick exam, and even the knee reflex test. The man with the clipboard wrote down some things every time she finished a part of the exam. It was embarrassing for me because it was the first time I was being examined like this other than the time I got examined by Finn, but I stood still and didn't say a word.

After a while the woman finished most of the examination. She took off the rubber gloves and threw them away in the disposal bin. She then took the clipboard on from the man that was writing on it and then looked at it herself.

"Hmm. Everything is normal as far as your body," said the woman. "However, you have a bit of temperature of over thirty-nine celsius."

She then went over to the counter and got something from there. It appeared to be some kind of diamond shaped crystal. The crystal then began to glow and then started to float above her hand. I couldn't help, but stare in awe at this. This certainly wasn't something that I hadn't seen before. Guess the woman wasn't kidding when she said that this place had state of the art magical technology.

"This is a specialized lacrima," said the woman. "This will scan your body as well as your magic power. Please stand and remain still as it scans you."

I stood up and the lacrima then floated over to me a few feet away in front of my face. Then it opened revealing a small lens that looked like an eye. The eye shone and then let out a beam of light. The light starting from my feet moved it's way upward scanning my body until it stopped at my head. It floated around behind me and let out the beam of light scanning me again starting from my head till it reached my feet. Once it was done scanning it floated back to the woman. She held out her hand and the lacrima closed it's eye and then fell to her hand.

"All right then," said the woman. "The scanning is complete."

She then snapped her finger and a strange display appeared with buttons at the bottom. She pressed on a couple and a small display appeared showing a picture of me. The picture of me then changed one of me in several different colors like a rainbow. However there was mostly red, orange, and yellow colors all over my body.

"Just as I thought," said the woman. "You're magic is more unstable than expected."

"But... you're gonna fix it now right?" I asked tentatively.

"Yes. Don't worry. We'll take care of it right now," said the woman. She then turned to the man. "Get it ready now."

"Yes," the man replied.

The woman then turned to me. "Now then, I need you to lie down again please."

Once again I complied with her request. The man then reached something above my head grabbing a strange device and placing it on top of my head. It appeared to be some kind of metal cap with a wire attached to it. The woman then began strapping my wrists to the examination table which made me a little scared.

"Wait what are you-"

"Please stay calm," said the woman. "This is all a part of the procedure."

She then strapped my wrists and then my ankles making me unable to move. I then struggled a little feeling more scared than before.

"Wait! Hold on! What are you gonna do to me?!"

"Just relax," said the man. "It's all part of the procedure. You'll be fine."

"This is going to hurt slightly, but we need you to be strong OK?" said the woman.

There was silence. Then I felt the helmet start whirring on my head and an electric shock shot right through my head throughout my body. I screamed in agony and feeling a bit startled. I thrashed around feeling the shock go through my body. It felt like I was dying from being electrocuted. I wanted to take it off and end the pain, but the straps held me down. This went on and on until about five minutes had passed then the shocking stopped. I breathed shakily as I twitched from the shock. The helmet was then taken off of my head and the straps were undone.

"You did great," said the woman. "You're all finished now."

"Is... is... is that all...?" I asked shakily sitting up. "Am... Am I cured... now?"

"Not exactly," said the woman. "Treating you is going to be a very long process."

My eyes widened. "What?! You mean I have to go through with this again!?"

"No. Of course not," said the woman. "We have your magic power under control, but we need to make it stronger. That is what the doctor requested when he arranged for you to be transferred here."

"But... I..." I began to protest, but then the man cut in.

"I know you want to be cured and leave as soon as possible, but you need to let us continue treating you. We have to make your magic power stronger so it can be stabilized," he said. "You do want to go back to your friends in perfect health right?"

"Well... yes... I do."

"Then until that day comes, you have to stay here and let us treat you," said the woman. "And in order to do that, we're now going to strengthen your magic power. Please come with us."

We then left the room and walked down the hallway. I was still feeling a little uneasy from the shocks, but I was walking fine. I even felt my fever die down a little. If what the woman was telling me was true, then maybe I should let them treat me after all. But soon that changed. For as I was walking down the hall, I noticed three of the people walking by. In the middle of them was a little girl. She looked young, pretty short, had pale white skin, dark short purple hair, and silver eyes. She was sniffling and crying as if she had been through a terrible ordeal. I couldn't help, but watch as they walked past us.

"Who was that girl?" I asked. "Is she OK?"

"She's fine," said the man. "She's just one of our other patients that's being treated here. Pay no mind."

I looked back watching them all walk past, but then kept on walking. Now I was feeling more uneasy than ever before and not just because of what I had just went through. We soon walked into another room. It was quite larger than the others and in the middle of it was a giant pit. I couldn't help, but look down in it. It was very deep. So deep in fact that it seemed bottomless. Which made me wonder what they were going to do to me now.

"All right then," said the woman. "Let's get things started."

Before I could ask what was going on or had a chance to react, the woman pushed me causing me to stumble over the edge and fall into the hole. I let out a scream of terror as I fell. It seemed that it was curtains for me, but then suddenly something wrapped around my head, my hands, and my feet stopping my fall. It appeared to be some kind of black web like cable. I was then pulled upward and until I was at the top of the pit with my arms and legs spread wide. I looked around frantically trying to comprehend what was going on. I then happened to looked up and saw a strange frightening metal figure looking like a fusion of the sun and the moon.

"What the heck is going on!" I cried struggling to get free of the cable. "What are you doing me?! Let me go!"

"It'll be fine," said the woman. "Remember, you're going to have your magic power strengthened for the sake of your friends."

"This is for your own good," added the man. He then turned to the other people standing around the pit. "Begin injecting the dark magic and the magic amplification."

Then the metal sun/moon face's eyes began to glow and then I could see purple electricity flowing through the cables making it's way toward me. I struggled to break free even more frantically knowing full well what was coming.

"No! Please! Don't do this!" I screamed. "Let me go! DON'T DO THIS!"

No one answered me or did anything. The purple electricity of magic power continued to flow through the cables until finally it reached me.

* * *

 **NO POV**

The magic power hit Willy like a lighting bolt as he screamed in animalisic agony. He screamed at the top of his lungs feeling very shock and jolt course through his body. He writhed and he struggled as he screamed trying to break free to make this pain end, but the magic kept on coming. As he was being experimented, the people watched silently as the only sound of Willy's screams echoed in the room ringing throughout the area.

* * *

 _The experimentation of Willy has now begun..._

 _Will he be able to make it through the experiments alive? Or will he die trying to survive?_

 _Stay tuned for the next chapter!_

 _Dragoman out!_


	33. Chapter 33 Days of Torture

_Another chapter fresh from the oven!_

 _Also I will try to upload a chapter once per week if I can!  
_

 _Hope you enjoy and happy reading!_

* * *

Chapter 33

Days of Torture

 **NO POV**

In another part of the land of Fiore, far away off the coast in the southern part of Fiore, there was a lone island with a tower on top of it. The tower looked strange, chaotic, and mostly twisted in appearance. In fact, the island itself looked to be made out of long metal tubes which wound together from the ground and straight up into the sky twisting and intertwining with each other.

Inside the tower on that island in what appeared to be a throne room at the top, sat a lone little boy looking like he was bored. He was young in his early teens, his outfit composed of a black t-shirt with a blue button down with teal trim with a pair of tan shorts, had blue hair, and a strange red-brown mark under one of his brown eyes. If anyone were to take a look at this boy, they would think that he was nothing less but ordinary. But he wasn't. He was far from an ordinary boy. This boy and his personality as well as his aura radiated only one thing. Evil. Pure evil.

As the boy sat on his throne seeming like he was lounging around looking like he was bored. Then the boy sensed someone appear before him. He looked up and there stood the dark-skinned man with the skeleton staff. As soon as the boy saw the man, he lightly glared at him as if he was annoyed by his presence.

"Did you think that you could sneak up on me Brain?" he said.

The man called Brain walked up Jellal keeping his expression neutral not intimidated by his glare.

"Pardon the intrusion Jellal. I know you're a busy boy being in charge of this tower your buiding, but there's something of great importance I wish to speak to you about," said Brain.

"And what would that be?" asked Jellal raising a brow.

"I am in need of members for my guild so I can fulfill what I most desire. And I think you can provide me with the members necessary to do so."

"How many will you need?"

"I need only five. I want the five people here with the most magic potential to become my solder. I won't take them right this minute, but about a month from now I will come and take them."

"Five huh?" hummed Jellal taking a moment to think this over. "Are you sure that give is all you're going to need? Normally a guild has more than five people."

"Do not worry over such trivial things," said Brain. "Five is more than enough. Besides the less members we have the better.

"And how do you intend to find five people that have the most magic potential out of the thousands here?" askd Jellal.

"Let's just say that I am currently making a kind of magic detector," said Brain. "It will take a while, but soon that power will be at my disposal and I will use that to find the five people I seek."

Jellal looked Brain giving him a curious look. Then he agreed.

"Very well then. As long as you take only five, I can see no problems with it. As long as I have enough people to keep building the tower. Do what you will to those you pick. However there is one condition."

"Condition?"

"Yes," said Jellal. "There are exceptions to those who you pick. You can choose whoever you want, but avoid picking my four friends. Shô, Millianna, Wally, and Simon. I have need of them and they will be of great use to me in my plans."

"Ah. You mean those children who you befriended back when you were staying here?" asked Brain. "Very well. I will abide by your condition. I also thank you Jellal. This will be of great help to me."

"I'm sure it will," said Jellal. "Now when are you going to be taking the five that you need?"

"As soon as I am done with my little detector, I will come back with it and I will take whoever I need then. Until that day comes, carry on like you've been doing here."

"All right then."

"Now then, I best be on my way," said Brain. "I'll see you until the fated day."

Brain turned on his heel and walked away his business settled with Jellal and then disappeared teleporting back to the Bureau. When he did, the skeleton head on the staff spoke to him.

"Excuse me for questioning you master, but how do you intended to make a magic detector?" it asked. "It's not like we can just find one."

Brain looked at the staff with slight annoyance for his staff's ignorance. "Come now Klodoa. Surely you haven't forgotten. Why did you think I went through the trouble of seizing the boy?"

The staff hummed trying to think, then it suddenly realized. "Wait... you're intending to use the boy? But how master? He's just water mage? How will be able to serve your purpose for that?"

"It is very simple," said Brain. "That boy knows the secret technique of the great water mage Tu-Chi. A spell called Aqua Sense. It's a spell that allows it's user to sense a targets water level as well as it's magic level. And not only that, he's also a dragon slayer and he has some kind of unnatural ability. After all I have witnessed his abilities and power first hand."

"And... what is this other ability master?" asked Klodoa.

"That I don't know," said Brain. "That is what I intend to figure out. Until then, we will experiment with the boy and once we're done, he will become my subject and will do my bidding and help me search for what I desire."

Brain chuckled darkly his eyes glistening with evil malice and greed. Whatever he had planned, it seemed that it was very close to coming to fruition.

* * *

 **WILLY'S POV**

 _ **Day 1  
**_

I was lying in my bed just getting into my room. It was nighttime at this point, the moon shining brightly through the window above my head.

Hurting. Everything was hurting.

Agony. I was twitching in agony from the shock.

Burning. Not from my fever, but my wrists and ankles were burning.

Dying. Was I dying?

It certainly felt like it was and frankly I wished I was. Anything for wanting this pain to end. They been shocking me with something for a couple hours to me now. Out of all the painful experiences I've ever been through, this was the worst of them all. Even the training I went through seemed like heaven compared to this hell. It was even a miracle that I lasted that long.

I was laying down on the bed in my room trying to recuperate, but the shock could still be felt throughout my body. My body shivered and twitched and my chest rose and fell as I hyperventilated. My limbs were still shaking due to the aftermath of the amplification.

"Why was all of this happening? Why are these people doing this to me?" I thought bitterly. "Why...?"

I couldn't help, but let out a few whimpers as I felt the pain shot through my body. It made me terrified to go through that ordeal again. It made me want to get out of here. Unfortunately I was stuck confined in the room I was staying in. I couldn't pass through the door like the other staff members of the Bureau can. Which left me with only one option.

I looked up and saw my only means of escape. The window above me. If I could bust through that window, I should be able to use my Water Dragon Wings to fly and escape. After all my magic power was stable. Might as well test to see if that was true. I had to at least try even if I was in pain. I got up from my bed hissing in pain a little as I stood up. I looked up at the window and then used my magic.

"WATER DRAGON WINGS!"

I called out trying to use my magic expecting my wings to sprout forth, but they didn't.

"WATER DRAGON WINGS!"

I tried again, but once again nothing happened. I tried again and again trying to use my magic, but I couldn't use a single spell. Not even a singe Iron Fist.

"What... what's going on? I... I can't use my magic," I said in utter disbelief. "Why can't I use my magic?"

I tried to think of the reason why, but other than the testing they were doing I couldn't think of anything else. I had to assume that my magic was being blocked somehow. And to add to that, I couldn't reach the window above me because it was so high. Which meant that I was stuck in this room whether I liked it or not.

Having no other option or any other ideas, I went back to the bed and lied down on it. As I lied there wanting so much to get out of here and in searing pain, a single tear rolled down my cheek as I buried my face into the pillow.

"I want to get out of here... I have to get out of here..."

* * *

 **Day 2**

I was woken up by the warbling sound of the door opening, startling me from my sleep. I glanced towards the door and in walked in the staff members of the bureau. There was at least three of them two women and a man making me outnumbered.

"It's time," the three of them said.

I pressed my back against the wall trying to back away from them. "No way! After what you did to me? Forget it! Just let me out of here!"

"It's time," the three of them said again.

They were talking normally, but to me they were talking in a tone filled with malice. Then the two women came towards me and took hold of my arms. I struggled against them.

"No way! Let me go!" I yelled as I struggled against them. "I'm not gonna go through that again!"

"You have to calm down," said the man. "If you don't, we will have to be forced to subdue you."

"I don't want to!" I yelled. "Let me go and let me out of here!"

I then broke free from the women and ran straight for the man in front of me. If I tackled him down, I figured could make my escape. However the man stood still perfectly calm.

"You leave me with no choice then," said the man.

He then waved his hand in front of him making a small magic circle appear. Then I felt something tighten around around my neck as well as something shocking go through my body. I would have screamed, but all that came out of my mouth as gargling noises. Then I slumped to the floor feeling numb. The tightness around my neck then went away as did the shocking. The women then looked at the the man with shock.

"What were you thinking?!" one of them cried.

"Brain said that you were not supposed to use that unless it was necessary!" said the other.

"Forgive me for that," said the man. "But it was necessary. We couldn't just have him rampaging about now can we? Even if his magic power is sealed thanks to the collar, he can still escape and get away if he got the better of us."

"So that's it," I thought. "That's why I couldn't use my magic before... It's because of the stupid collar they put on me."

The man stood above me looking down at me crumpled body. As I looked back up at him with one eye wincing in pain. Then I noticed something. When I looked up at him, I happened to get a look at the man's bottom half of his face. A bushy gray beard stuck out from underneath the red scarf of the man's face. A feeling was felt in my mind. A feeling that I've seen that beard before. But where?

That's when it hit me. I have seen that beard before. It was the same beard like the doctor's back at Magnolia. But what was he doing here?! Why was he here?! He couldn't be here!

"You... Why... are you here...?" I groaned as the two women picked me up.

The man didn't listen to me nor did he respond as he watched the two staff members carry me out of the room with him following.

* * *

 **NO POV**

Willy's screams rang throughout and the room as he once more was put through the magic amplification and experimentation. As his magic was being amplified, the staff members watched over him to make sure that everything was going smoothly. They would keep experimenting and amplifying his magic for roughly an hour or so, then they would stop and then use the cables to inject him with dark magic. Then they started again. From there it was rinse and repeat.

This went on and on for several hours and Willy kept on screaming in agony. It was a wonder that he was still able to scream after all this time. His body continued to burn and jolt as the experimentation continued. The staff members continued to watch over him making sure that everything was going smoothly. One staff member in particular was watching Willy ever so closely stroking his beard under his mask with interest.

Then another staff member came up to him.

"Excuse me," he said. "But the Head wants to see you sir."

"I see," said the man. "I will go see him right now."

The man walked out of the room and there waiting outside was Brain himself wearing his attire as the Head of the Bureau.

"You wanted to see me sir?" asked the silver beard.

"What's this I hear about you using the collar to control the boy?" asked Brain. "I thought I told you not to use the collar unless it was absolutely necessary."

"It was necessary sir," said the man. "The boy was making an attempt to escape and he attacked me. I had no other choice."

"That may be so, but you still hurt a precious specimen of mine," said Brain giving the man a hard glare. "Need I remind you that he is necessary for my plans and if I find out that something has happened to that boy because of you, there will be some serious repercussions. Is that understood?"

"Not to worry sir," said the silver beard. "I'll try not to let it happen again."

"See that you don't," said Brain. Then he looked towards the door where Willy's muffled screams could be heard. "How is he doing?"

"Exceptionally well sir," said the silver beard. "I must say that you have a keen eye. That boy certainly is on a different level. He's as incredible as Ur's daughter if not better. His magic has grown stronger and his body seems to be taking the darkness magic very well. He's the perfect subject."

"That's excellent," said Brain. "Keep going. Only this time I want you to take it seven hundred percent and perform more dark magic infusions at the hourly intervals. I want him ready within a week or so and then we'll proceed to the next step."

"Understood sir," said the silver beard. "However if he does act up or try to be uncooperative, may I have your permission to act accordingly?"

Brain paused for a moment. Then he responded. "If he does act up, then do what you will to subdue him. My only condition is to make sure that he's alive."

"I will sir," said the silver beard. "In the meantime, I'll make sure that he is ready for you within that time."

"See that you do," said Brain as he walked away and the silver beard went back into the room.

* * *

 **DAY 6**

 **WILLY'S POV**

I lied there in my bed after going through another day of experimentation and torture. My body still stung with pain and trembled from the shock. The rings on my ankles and wrists were now showing even more than before all raw and red. My neck was now stinging as well and even feeling a little itchy. That was due to my constant attempts to try and break free. They would all end up in vain because right then they would use the collar stop me. You would think that I've gotten used to the pain at this point. Sadly the pain still hurt like crazy.

To make things a little more depressing, I started to feel a little lonely too. The only people that came to see me were the staff members themselves. They would either bring me food and water so I wouldn't die from malnutrition or say those three words and then take or drag me to the pit room to be experimented on. There also that man from before, but he didn't say much either. He either activated my collar whenever I started acting up or stood to the side watching me be experimented on.

More than anything else I wanted to get out of this place. It was like a prison of some sort. Every second that I spent lying there made me miss my friends.

I really wanted to see everyone again. Natsu. Gray. Erza. Cana. Levy. Everyone back in Fairy Tail came into my mind and I couldn't help but miss them. More than anyone else, I missed the Strauss siblings most of all. Elfman. Lisanna. And most of all Mira. It seemed like an eternity since I last talked to her or any of my friends for that matter.

I wonder how she was along with the others? Is she getting along OK? Is she wondering what happened to me? Does she know about me going through all of this?

Sadly I couldn't ask nor could I talk to her or the others to know.

At this point, I had almost given up all hope. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get out or escape and I missed all of my friends terribly.

"...Mira...Elfman...Lisanna...everyone."

I buried my face in my pillow and started to cry. I felt so scared. So much pain. And most of all, so alone.

* * *

 **DAY 13**

They've been experimenting on me for almost two weeks now. The pain still rocked my body. You'd think that I'd be used to the pain at this point. To be honest, I don't think anyone could get used to this kind of pain I was experiencing. For the next couple of days I still screamed, but now my screams became a mix of yelps and whimpers. And after every hour when they stopped amplifying, they would inject me with some of dark fluid with a syringe and then would resume the amplification. My body felt battered, weary, and completely destroyed. I even felt that something inside of me wasn't making me... well me. I was now at the point where I just wanted to die. Anything to be rid of this suffering.I w

I lied there in my room staring vacantly at the wall, my eyes completely emotionless and not even blinking. If you were to look at me right now, you would probably think that I was a patient at a mental hospital. Then the door opened and the staff members walked in along with the silver bearded man.

"It's time," they said.

I didn't move nor did I respond. The silver beard then walked over to me and checked me over.

"Hey. You're not dead are you?" he asked.

Once again I didn't respond. Then the doctor then activated the collar sending a massive shock to my body and squeezing my neck. I screamed from the pain, but because of the collar nothing but gargling noises came out of my throat. I grabbed the collar trying to ease the squeezing, but it held my throat tight. I could feel my eyes rolling to the back of my head and I was starting to black out. Then the silver beard canceled the magic and collar deactivated. I coughed and gagged greedily sucking the air back into my lungs.

"Hey! You trying to kill him?!" said a staff member. "Brain told to you not to use the collar unless it was-"

"And I told you it was necessary," interrupted the silver beard. "Besides, Brain gave me full permission and control over how I should use the collar. As long as he's alive and kicking I can use it however I see fit.

The silver beard let out a throaty chuckle as I looked up at the man. What was he talking about? Guest of honor for what? The other two staff members then picked me up so I was at my feet and then the silver beard tilted my head up by holding my chin. I couldn't see the face underneath the scarf, but I can tell from his tone that he had a look of sadism.

"In addition, today's a very important day and I don't want the boy to miss such an important event. After all, he's the guest of honor. He also need to learn that he belongs to Brain as well as me and there's no escape."

I didn't respond nor did I answer as the staff members carried me out of the room. Whatever this guy had in store for me, I wasn't going to like it. Not one little bit.

* * *

I was once being prepared to be strapped over the pit below the metal structure. What were they gonna do to me this time? More magic amplification? More of that dark liquid in the syringe? I absently stared up at the metallic structure and then I looked at the staff members that surrounded the pit. Then I saw the silver bearded man who stood in front of me.

"Such a sad, sad face you're sporting my boy," he said with mock sadness. "You must be feeling so much pain from the constant experimentation for the past days and I bet you're feeling lonely too. But don't you worry about a thing my boy. Soon your feelings of pain and loneliness will disappear and you be transformed into something incredible."

"We're ready sir," said a staff member. "We can start at anytime."

"Good," said the silver beard. "I'm sorry my boy, but this will probably be the last time that you'll be able to see me or anyone for that matter. After we're done with you, I'm afraid that you will no longer exist."

He got real close my face which made me cringe from being near him and then he spoke right in my ear.

"I enjoyed our time together in Magnolia. I even enjoyed playing doctor with you," he continued. "I guess you can say I've grown rather fond of you. And also... I want you know to that you're mine now. My one and only subject. No matter where you go or who you go with... you belong to me."

My eye for the first time in a while filled with emotion. Pure horror and anger. My suspicions were definitely confirmed. He was the doctor back at Magnolia and all this time I thought that he was a good person.

"YOU MONSTER!"

Feeling angry and betrayed. I struggled to get free wanting to wring out the silver beard's throat. The silver beard only laughed and walked away from me as I was then lifted up from the ground and once more hung over the pit.

"Take it up to maximum power and make sure that he gets the dose of that spell that Brain provided," said the silver beard.

The metallic eyes of the structure began to glow and I was once again shocked by the magic energy making me yell in pain. This time I was hit with the maximum power. I screamed louder than I ever did before and thrashed violently like I was having a seizure. Not only that, but now it felt like something inside me was invading in my body and taking me over.

As I twisted in agony, my body began to feel numb and I began to black out. I tried to will myself to keep my eyes open, but they just grew heavier and heavier. Was I dying? Was I going to die like this? I couldn't! There was so much that I wanted to do in my life before that happened! I wanted to experience more things in life, accomplish my dreams, reach for the stars! Most of all, I wanted see my friends. I felt my eyes start to roll up to my skull as my body convulsed and my screams went silent as I stayed conscious for at least a few more seconds before saying my final words.

"Everyone... Lisanna... Elfman... Mira..."

A single tear trickled down on my face and I slumped on the cables.

"I'm sorry..."

* * *

 **NO POV**

As Willy fell into a strange slumber, a wide grin was on the face of the silver beard. You could even see it from underneath the cloth mask. Just then Brain entered the room.

"Have you done it already?" he asked.

"Yes sir," said the silver beard. "We had just given him the maximum power and also used the spell you requested along with. With this he is almost complete. All we need to do is make a couple tweaks and he should be ready to go. We are now proceeding into the final step."

"Excellent work," said Brain smiling. "Now the real testing will begin..." He then looked down at Willy. "And very soon you will help me find the five brave warriors I need to achieve my goal and then the world will tremble and bow beneath my feet."

He then laughed with triumph as Willy was let down from the cables and then his slumbering body was carried into a table and then some staff members pushed him out of the room with Brain and the silver beard following leaving the pit room shutting the door.

* * *

 _Willy has now been placed into a deep slumber. However... who knows when he will awaken again..._

 _Will he?_

 _If you have any questions or you want to leave a review feel free to let me now!_

 _And don't forget to check out the wiki of The Leviathan of Fairy Tail!_

 _Dragoman out!_


	34. Chapter 34 Unforgivable Destruction

_Order up! One fresh new chapter hot from the oven!_

 _Hope you guys like it! Enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter 34

Unforgivable Destruction

It was the middle of the night. The entire Bureau was quiet. Most of the staff was still at work while their subjects were sound asleep. Everyone that is except for one subject in particular. The small little girl with dark purple hair in her room was wide awake. It was the same little girl that Willy had seen pass by him before. The girl who happened to be the daughter of Ur, Ultear. She had just been through another day of experimentation and was now sobbing her eyes out on her bed. She was in pain and felt utterly miserable.

She hated being here. She hated going under all this magic amplification which was causing her so much pain. She missed being at home having a normal life. Most of all, she missed her mother terribly. Forget about undergoing all of this just for the sake of her mother. All she ever wanted was to see her mother again. She had been wanting to see her mother ever since she woke up in this strange place. Sadly, the staff members told her the same thing over and over again.

 _"We can't allow you to see your mother until your magic has grown stronger."_

 _"That was her request after all."_

 _"You have to get stronger for your mother's sake."_

"I wanna go home..." she wept as she fists clung a fist full of sheets. "Please come and get me Momma... Momma..."

As she cried burying her face into the sheets and unknown to her at the time, her magic power began to respond to her feelings. It built up more and more inside of her and then...

"MOMMA!"

With a cry of despair Ultear released the powerful force of magic making the entire room around her crack and crumble from the shock. She also felt something rain down on her from above causing her to look up. Her eyes then widened. The force of her magic was so strong that it caused the window above her to break. As soon as she saw that, she realized that she had an opportunity. An opportunity to leave this place and escape to find her mother.

Somehow, she was able to climb out of the window and then make her way down the building and safely get onto the ground. Moments later came the alarm and Ultear could hear the voices of the staff members.

"Subject three-three-seven-three has escaped!"

"A sudden spike in magic power's been detected!"

Ultear then took off running as fast as her little legs can carry her. She didn't dare look back nor did she stop running as she ran across the lifeless wasteland.

"Momma... I'm coming!" she said to herself as she ran and ran until she was out of sight from the Bureau.

* * *

Inside the building, Brain and Silver were inspecting Ultear's room to see what had happened.

"It seems that she used her magic power to break the window and escape from there," said Silver Beard.

"So, it would appear," said Brain.

"What are your orders sir?"

"Hmm..." Brain hummed as he looked at the destruction that Ultear caused. "I suppose we can just let her go for now. After all the real show is yet to come, young daughter of Ur." He then turned to Silver Beard. "I don't plan on letting this dissuade me from my plans."

"It's still quite a shame sir," said Silver Beard. "I have to admit she was an interesting subject. Well, less interesting than the boy is but still."

"Fear not. She'll be back," said Brain. "It'll just take a matter of time that's all."

"What makes you so sure of that sir?" asked Silver Beard.

"Just call it a hunch," said Brain. "In the meantime, let's focus on the task at hand. How's progress?"

"Going very well sir," said Silver Beard. "The spell has been successfully implanted and he has been implanted with loads of dark magic. We're actually ready to run some test runs on him. We're just need your approval to start."

"Very well," said Brain. "However, I want to see the testing myself firsthand."

"Understood sir."

Then Brain and Silver Beard left the room. They both walked down the hall until they came to another room. The door automatically opened and they both walked inside. The room was quite large and spacious like the pit, but this room had the appearance of another lab. Above this room was a command center where a bunch of the staff members were watching from above or fiddling with the controls. This room was for testing the subjects that they enhanced or the magic that they had invented.

When Brain and Silver Beard entered, they were immediately greeted upon by the staff members. A staff member came up to them and gave them a salute speaking with a feminine voice.

"Sir. We set up everything just as you requested. Everything is all set for testing," she said. "We can start at any time."

"Good," said Brain. "Begin right away."

Then Silver Beard went with some other staff members into the control center above the room. Everyone cleared the bottom room except for Brain. A few of the staff members then brought out a strange stretcher carrying it and moved it in front of Brain. On top of the stretcher was a certain young boy. He was still wearing the white scrub and the collar around his neck appearing to be sleeping looking ever so peaceful. Then Silver Beard's voice came through a loud speaker.

"All right then. It's time we get started," he said. "Remove the collar around his neck."

One of the staff members at the sound of his command then took out a lacrima and put it front of the collar. After a brief pause, the collar was undone and then removed from his neck. Silver Beard then spoke to Brain.

"Sir. All you need to do is give him a command and the boy will respond to it without question."

"Very well," said Brain. He turned to the unconscious boy and spoke loud enough for him to hear him. "Now... awaken!"

At the sound of his command, the boy's eyes snapped open. Both of his eyes had now gone from dark brown to a bright green color. He slowly sat up after staying there for a few seconds and then got off the stretcher standing up. The staff members then moved the stretcher out of the way. Then a large white magic circle appeared in front of them and from the circle, numerous floating lacrimas appeared. They had the same appearance as the one that was used for scanning before only they looked a little bigger and were colored gray.

"Now then... I want you to attack and destroy every lacrima you see before you," said Brain. "Don't hold anything back and show no mercy until none of them are left."

The boy turned towards the lacrimas and then spoke in a low, stoic, monotone-like demeanor.

"Understood."

Then the boy slowly walked towards the lacrimas. They suddenly came to life floating around and scattering all around. As the boy continued to walk the lacrimas surrounded him and then opened revealing a strange looking eye. From the eye, a barrel popped out now giving the lacrimas the appearance of laser shooting droids. They took aim and they all fired beams of lasers straight at the boy. The boy calmly stopped walking and looked at the incoming lasers as he was hit dead on with them. There was a loud boom as a giant cloud of smoke billowed where the boy stood. The staff members who were watching this in the control room were either surprised or disappointed to what has just happened.

"Damn it!" said one. "Someone get that medics."

"That blast probably destroyed him," said another. "Poor thing. What a waste."

"Now, now," said Silver Beard. "Don't go jumping the gun just yet. He's still alive you know."

The staff members looked at Silver Beard who was staring intently at the scene waiting for something to happen.

Everything was silent and the lacrimas whizzed and whirred trying to see if they hit their target, but then suddenly the boy came out from the smoke in an incredible speed zipping by a couple of the lacrimas and stopping just a few feet behind them holding a katana made of water in each of his hands. However instead of them being blue colored, their color was now a black color with slight tinges of rainbow. There was a few seconds of silence. Then suddenly some of the larcimas split in two exploding into nothingness.

The lacrimas seeing their target once again fired. The boy dashed towards them and deflected the lasers with his swords. He then swung his swords at the lacrimas once again using a blinding speed destroying another wave of them. The boy dispersed his swords and jumped into the air summoning a magic circle from his back making a pair of black water wings appear and then took flight into the air.

The lacrimas not letting up on their assault pursued the boy firing their lasers in hopes of shooting him down, but the boy dodged and weaved maneuvering from their attacks as he flew. Soon he came close to a wall and dispersed his wings and then using the wall as a footing leaped off from it heading right for the lacrimas. He released black streams of water from his hands and flung the shockwaves at the larcimas destroying yet another wave. From there he kept on destroying lacrima after lacrima in a blinding speed and fashion.

The staff watched in awe and Silver Beard smiled widely under his mask feeling very pleased.

Eventually the boy had destroyed all but one lacrima on the ground. It was badly damaged and didn't have the power to fight back. The boy slowly walked up to it and then viciously destroyed it with one single stomp of his foot. Brain who was watching the whole fight couldn't help but smile.

"Well done," he said. "That was quite impressive."

The boy then turned towards Brain and lightly bowed to him.

"Thank you, sir."

Silver Beard then came down from the control room and appeared beside Brain.

"What do you think sir? He's quite the obedient and fearsome warrior when you give him the right command isn't he?" he said.

"Indeed," said Brain. "He's certainly has quite the battle experience. It would seem that injecting him with dark magic and that spell was worth it. It has made his attacks even stronger than before if not deadlier and he will obey me without any question."

"Yes sir," said Silver Beard. "Thanks to the dark magic we injected he's become the ultimate subject. A powerful bodyguard as well as a killing machine."

"But now comes the real test," said Brain. "I want to test him using a particular spell.

"And what spell would that be sir?" asked Silver Beard.

"The spell that allows him to sense the magic power of a target," said Brain. "That spell is a key component for my plan. I want to be sure that I can make him use it as soon as I tell him too."

"Don't worry sir," said Silver Beard. "I made preparations for a test in place-"

"That won't be necessary," interrupted Brain. "I already have something in mind to test him." He then turned to the boy. "Come here boy."

The boy obediently walked up to Brain. "What is it that you need sir?" he asked.

Brain dug into his suit and pulled out a picture and held it up, so the boy could see. The picture turned out to be one of Ultear. When Silver Beard saw it, he was a little surprised but then it was replaced with an intrigued smile.

"I see," he thought to himself. "So that's what he's got planned."

"You see this girl on the photo? She recently escaped from us and I need her back for further testing," said Brain. "I want you to track down this girl and bring her back here. Can you do that?"

The boy took a look and that photo and then gave Brain a nod.

"As you wish," he said. "It should be a simple task to find the girl for you sir."

"Good. Make sure that you bring her back without fail," said Brain.

"Understood sir. And what should I do if she plans to resist?"

"Use force if necessary. But don't rough her up too badly. She's still a subject of mine you know."

"Very well. I will be going now. I do not know how long it will take, but I will bring the girl back without fail for you sir."

Silver Beard and Brain watched as he left heading outside of the bureau.

"So, this is what you meant by the real show," said Silver Beard. "I must admit this is one show I'm looking forward to watching."

Brain then turned around and headed out of the room. "Prepare a room for the girl," he said. "We must prepare for her return."

"Yes sir," said Silver Beard.

* * *

Meanwhile far away from the Bureau, Ultear was still running as fast as her little legs could carry her. She had been running for who knows how long. She was starving and thirsty due to the lack of food and water during her stay at the Bureau. Not to mention due to the magic amplifications, her mind as well as her body was battered and weary. However, that didn't stop her from running. There was only one thing that was keeping this girl going. And that was her desire to see her mother Ur. As long as she would see her mother again, there was no pain emotional or physical she couldn't endure.

Eventually she made her way up to the mountains where she and her mother lived. There was blankets of snow everywhere. Ultear was now feeling cold. Her feet were turning red and she was shivering, but she was almost at her goal. She was so close and yet so far. After walking up the mountain trail, Ur saw something that was a sight for sore eyes. There at the end was a wooden house. It was small bungalow wooden house with a wide porch in front, a small chimney on the roof, and two pine trees growing next to it. This was Ur's and Ultear's home. As soon as she saw it, she immediately ran towards the house.

"Mama! I'm home! Mama!"

Ultear called out to her mother eager to see her face again now that she was home. She knocked on the door furiously and tried opening the door. The door was locked and there was nothing but silence. Ultear then went around the side of the house and peeped in through the window. Her mother was nowhere to be seen.

"Where is she?" she wondered to herself. "Maybe she's in the forest somewhere."

At first, she planned on waiting for her, but after being away from her for so long she decided to go looking for her. She went walking around the forest desperately searching for her mother. She walked past tree by tree and search all over for her. Then she came up to a tree on top of a small hill and then she looked down. Her eyes then widened.

Then below her was a young woman. She wore a short, tan jacket with a dark brown collar and cuff and two breast pockets that was unbuttoned to reveal a maroon tube top exposing her midriff partially. She also wore a pair of black jeans and a belt with a scaly design and metal buckle along with a pair of simple brown shoes. She had about the same skin complexion as Ur did, had black iris colored eyes, and dark messy purple hair at chin length coming down the sides of her face and covering her ears with a few strands of her hair hanging down her temple and between her eyes.

Immediately upon seeing her, Ultear's eyes welled with tears of joy.

"It's her... It's my mommy!" she thought to herself.

There she was. The person who she had been wanting to see in so long was right in front of her a few feet away. Ultear was about to call out to her, but then her feelings of joy soon disappeared. For she saw that her mother was not alone. With her were two little boys both of which appearing to be about her age. Both of which were lean and were practically wearing nothing but a pair of boxers. One of them had boxers that were dark blue with spiky hair and eyes to match. The other had light blue boxers along with bluish silver hair with spiky strands that jut upwards on top of his head and some which were pointing downwards covering the upper left part of his face.

As they talked to her, Ur couldn't help but smile and laugh as if she didn't have a care in the world. At a glimpse, Ur didn't seem to notice or care about her daughter being missing like she had moved on from her. Ultear couldn't believe what she was seeing, nor did she understand. Why? Why was she so happy with those two boys who weren't even related to her while was being put through hell for the past couple of weeks? Did she abandon her? Did she even know that she was gone and suffering all this time? Her feelings of joy were quickly replaced with feelings of sadness, anger, and most of all abandonment and betrayal.

Ultear fell to her knees letting her tears fall into the snow. She felt so alone like she had no one else that cared about her nor did she have anywhere to call home. Then something changed again within the girl. She no longer felt the mixed emotions she was experiencing.

Instead she felt new feelings bubble up and burn inside of her.

Feelings of revenge and hatred.

"Unforgivable..." she thought to herself. "Unforgivable..."

Her feelings of revenge and hatred suddenly took a hold of her making want to do one thing. Kill the person who betrayed her. And there was only one place that could help her realize that dream. Then Ultear's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of crunching snow behind her. She quickly snapped her head around and there standing behind her was a young boy. He was taller than her by a few inches, wore a white scrub, was lightly tan skinned with black spiky hair, and had green eyes. He also had a pair of black wings with slight rainbow colors that appeared to be made from water. From the looks of things, he appeared to have just touched down from the sky like an angel descending from above.

"Are you the one who calls herself Ultear the daughter of Ur?" he asked. "If so then I must ask that you come with me. Sir Brain wants you back at the Bureau. Know that if you resist, I will have no choice, but to subdue you."

Feeling a little afraid and surprised, Ultear instinctively took a few steps back, but then she had a thought. There was a place that she could go to. A place that was perfect for helping her get her revenge on her former mother. If she went back to that place, she could get stronger by going through the magic amplification experiments again. This stronger to a point where it was enough to take her revenge.

She looked up at the boy clenching her fists.

"I'll go with you," she said. "I won't resist, so take me back."

The boy stared at her for a brief pause. Then he turned around and bent down offering her a lift. "Very well," he said. "I will escort you back the Bureau. Climb on please."

Ultear without any hesitation got on the boy's back. He then spread his wings and with a mighty wingbeat took off into the air. As they took off into the air, Ultear took one last look at her mother with the two boys below. She glared at the sight and then buried her face into the boy's back as they headed back to the Bureau.

Eventually they both made it back to the Bureau. When they got there, they found that a crowd of staff members along with Brain and Silver Beard were waiting for them. The boy with Ultear swooped downwards and then landed safely on the ground. Ultear then got off his back and the boy bowed to Brain like a servant with his king.

"I have brought the girl as you requested sir," said the boy.

"Well done," said Brain. "I'd expected nothing less." He turned to Ultear. "As for you, I take it that you came here of your own free will?"

Ultear looked up at the man and answered with a single nod. Brain then turned to the staff members.

"Take this girl to her new room," he said. "And make sure that she's ready for the magic amplification."

"Yes sir," the staff members replied as they walked away with Ultear in tow leaving Silver Beard, Brain, and the boy alone.

"It was a success," said Silver Beard. "He was able to track down the girl in no time at all."

"Is there anything to be surprised about?" said Brain. "After all, this boy possesses the spell known as Aqua Sense. A spell that allows the user to sense a target's magic power from a great distance. I had no doubt that he would find her."

"It's still quite remarkable," said Silver Beard. "It's a wonder that boy knows such a spell along with him being a dragon slayer. He's really quite special."

"Indeed," said Brain. "I want you to keep on testing him. Make sure that he's ready for anything I set him out to do."

"Of course, sir," said Silver Beard.

* * *

For the next couple of days or so, Ultear continued going under the magic amplification experiments to grow stronger. Only this time she didn't scream in agony nor in pain. Instead she remained silent taking the pain in stride not letting it affect her at all. The pain was nothing to her. The only thing that girl was feeling was her desire to take her revenge on her mother. As long as she could have that, then there was too painful for her to endure.

One day she was going through the magic amplification as usual with the staff members and Silver Beard watching as usual. Then one of the staff members called out as he held out a lacrima showing a display.

"Hey! We might have a problem here!"

Silver Beard came over to the staff member. "What is it?"

"Well sir... take a look," said the staff member showed him the display.

Silver Beard took a once over at it and his eyes widened in surprise. Then he turned to another staff member.

"Get the head over here immediately," he said showing urgency for the first time.

"Yes sir!"

The staff member than raced off to get Brain. Soon enough Brain came into the room along with the boy coming over to the pit standing next to Silver Beard.

"Is there something the matter?" he asked.

"Well sir," said Silver Beard. "The thing is this girl's magic power has been increasing abnormally at an alarming rate over the course of these past few days. I'm afraid that it might be too dangerous to continue the magic amplification."

Brain looked down at the girl. Then he smiled. "This child is full of untapped potential. I was hoping that she would be one of the five brave warriors that I've been looking for, but I guess it wouldn't appear to be the case. I'm afraid that this girl's magic is of a different quality. I doubt that a body link would be possible. It's really quite a pity."

He turned to the staff members as he walked out of the room. "I want you to increase the power to the maximum level."

The staff members as well as Silver Beard gasped in shock.

"But sir if we do that it'll overload the system!" said Silver Beard. "Then the entire place will come crashing down!"

"Do it!" said Brain as his attire changed into his previous attire holding his staff. "I no longer have any need of this place. It can crumble to the ground for all I care. I already have everything I need in regards to spells. I'll leave the Ur's daughter to him as a parting gift."

Suddenly Ultear began to glow in a bright violet light erupting with magic power. It seemed that hearing her mother's name had caused her to become enraged.

"Hey! We got trouble!" said a staff member. "The magic power's reversed flow! It's going to explode!"

Silver Beard's eyes widened in horror and he looked in time to see Brain and the boy walk away and then disappear into thin air.

"No! Sir!" he cried. "Don't leave us! Come back!"

"Evacuate! Evacuate!"

The metallic structure above began to heat up having too much magic power contained within it. Then it exploded with a mighty boom. Everyone inside began to panic and try to get away, but one by one the explosions swallowed them up killing them. Eventually the building was engulfed in flames from the explosions. So much so that the metal began to melt and because there was no way to support it began to lean. It creaked and groaned as it no longer could stand up right. There was no sign of survivors except for one person who was walking away from the destruction. That person was Ultear. Having no longer a purpose to stay now that she was strong enough, she continued on her way in her quest for revenge.

* * *

 _Now that that's over and done with, we're gonna get to the interesting part!_

 _Some of you were waiting for this, but we're close to the canon part of the story!_

 _Hope you guys liked what you read! Remember! If you have any questions or reviews, don't be afraid to let me know!_

 _Dragoman out!_


	35. Chapter 35 The Seis and the Shark

_Now here's the next chapter of my story!  
_

 _Happy reading!_

* * *

Chapter 35

The Six and the Shark

At the Tower of Heaven, all the people there were hard at work building the tower. A couple of the supervisors looked on making sure that everyone was working.

"Man... what a day," said one. "I wish we didn't have to spend it working."

"Well we gotta," said the other. "After all it's Jellal's greatest wish as well as ours. We have to complete the tower as our way of saying thanks for saving us."

"Yeah. I know. I still can't believe what happened back then. It's hard to believe that little girl tried to kill us because she went insane from her own magic power."

"No kidding. I'm still shaken up by it. But thanks to Jellal we avoided that catastrophe. That's why we're building this tower for his sake as a way of gratitude. We owe him a lot for saving out lives."

"There's really no need to thank me," said a voice. "I think you've said thanks enough."

The two then turned around in surprise to find that the very boy in question was standing right in front of them.

"Oh! Master Jellal! We didn't see you there!"

"Please pardon us sir!"

Jellal smiled. "There's no need to be so formal around me. How's construction coming?"

"It's going along well sir," said the supervisor. "At the rate we're going, we should be able to have the tower completed soon."

"But we should add that it might take some time sir," said the other.

"That's fine," said Jellal as he looked down at the people below him. "As long as the tower is completed then I can wait for as long as it takes."

"So... what brings you here Jellal? Did... you have some business or something sir?"

"Actually there is," said Jellal. "Spread the word to all of the people around the tower. A friend of mine will be dropping by and he will be taking five people under his wing to join his guild."

"Seriously?"

"Yes. So when he gets here, make sure you show him around and help him with whatever he needs," continued Jellal. "If there are any problems report them to me."

"Understood sir," said the first supervisor. "When will he arrive sir?"

Just then before Jellal could answer, a green mist appeared behind them.

"What the-!"

"What is this?! An attack?!"

The two supervisors jumped back in surprise while Jellal remained motionless not showing any reaction.

"Calm yourselves. It's the friend of mine in question," he replied.

Sure enough out from the mist, Brain appeared out from the cloud along with the boy in tow.

"Sorry for the intrusion," said Brain. "I had to tie up a few loose ends, but here I am."

"You sure like to make your entrances don't you Brain?" said Jellal showing a neutral expression.

Then he saw the boy standing next to him which made him look at him with a raised brow.

"And who's that? Is he some kind of offering or a payment to me?" he asked.

"Sorry, but this boy is off limits," said Brain. "Think of him as... my personal servant and bodyguard."

Jellal stared at the boy and the boy showed no response. "I see."

"Now then... I trust you know why I am here correct?"

"Yes. I do. I haven't forgotten."

He then turned to the two supervisors. "Show these two around and all the people we have here and let him pick whoever he chooses."

"Yes sir!" the supervisors replied.

The two then went away taking Brain and the boy with them. As they left Jellal couldn't help but look back at the two particularly the boy that was with him.

"That boy... I don't know why... but I sense something about him," he thought. "Something about him that makes him... unusual."

* * *

The two supervisors then took the boy and Brain around the tower. As they passed by, the people couldn't help stare at the arrival of these new faces with curiousity and confusion on their faces.

"Listen up!" said one of the supervisors. "This man is a friend of our savior Jellal. He has come here because five of you will go with him to be taken under his wing."

"If you are chosen, you will go with him immediately and see Jellal before you leave," said the other supervisor. "During this time just continue your daily routine."

The people having had heard them went back to work with their construction.

"Well then... take your pick," said first supervisor gesturing toward the people.

"That I shall," said Brain. He then turned to the boy. "I want you to use your Aqua Sense and pick five from these people with the most magic power."

"Understood sir," said the boy.

He stepped forward, closed his eyes, and raised his hand with the palm open and in a 90 degree angle. His hand then began to glow in a mixture of black and blue light. In his mind a wave of black energy spread throughout the area washing over everyone in the area. He also saw every person's magic power as well as their water levels. Those who had low magic power had low glowing gray lights. He searched and he searched until he caught a glimpse of a gray energy that was glowing brighter than most of them. The boy immediately opened his eyes.

"Sir. I have detected someone with a high magic power," he said.

"Good work," said Brain. "Lead the way."

The boy led Brain to another part of the area where other were working on the tower. Soon enough the boy came to a stop and pointed towards the direction of a group of the workers.

"There sir. That boy over there," he said. "He's the one that I sensed with a high magic power."

The boy who Willy was pointing at was sitting on the ground playing with a small purple snake.

He was young, light skinned with matted maroon hair, and had purple eyes. It seemed that he was caring for the snake like a pet. He seemed so happy just being with the snake. Brain then walked up to the boy. The boy immediately froze looking up at Brain with fright. He also shielded his snake seeming like he was protecting it.

"There's no need to be afraid," said Brain. "Tell me. What is your name young one?"

"E-erik," the boy stammered.

"Well then Erik. Would you do me the honor of please coming with me?" asked Brain.

The boy named Erik stared at Brain. Then he looked at his snake.

"May I take Cubellios with me?" he asked.

"I don't see why not," said Brain. "Do what you see fit."

Then he turned back towards the boy. "We need four more now. Find them."

"Understood sir," he said.

He closed his eyes again and used the Aqua Sense spell again. This time he sensed two more magic powers coming from below them.

"Down there sir," he said. "I sense two more coming from the lower levels."

"Very good," said Brain. "Take us to them if you would."

The boy nodded and then lead them to the lower levels of the tower. In the lower levels was a cell area. The cells were all made out of stone and some even had small windows allowing the people in them to look out towards the sea hearing the sounds of waves in the distance. As they walked by, the people inside their cells couldn't help but notice these new arrivals that walked past them. They kept on walking until the boy came to a stop in front of a cell. He used his Aqua Sense again by raising his hand then he opened his eyes.

"Sir. The two magic powers I'm sensing are in this cell," he said.

"Would you care to open this cell for us?" asked Brain to one of the supervisors.

The supervisor did so and the boy walked in causing everyone in there to look at him. The boy looked around trying to find the two people he sensed. He looked from person to person until he saw two children by the window. One was a little girl with short white hair and brown eyes playing with a small white feather. The other was a little boy who had short spiky black hair on top of his head and longer straight white hair on the bottom curled up holding his ears as if he was trying to block out all the noise around him.

Then they heard the boy walking up to them causing them to look up.

"Excuse me," said the boy. "But would you both do me the honor of please coming with me?"

* * *

After that the boy used his Aqua Sense again and sensing another person with a high magic power which lead to another part of the tower. A group of people were working hard moving rocks into containers. Out of them another young boy was working as hard as he could. He was chubby and tall and had orange curly hair in an afro. As he continued to work a loud voice yelled out making him jump.

"Hey! You! Work faster!"

The boy suddenly felt a shock of pain shoot through his body. He couldn't help but let out a scream because of how unexpected and painful it was. Then the pain was gone and he fell to the ground in pain. The boy winced still feeling the shock in his body.

"Hey! Get back up! Otherwise you're gonna feel a lot more than just that spell!" barked the voice.

The boy looked behind him and saw that one of the supervisors was standing right above him, the very reason the boy was shocked in the first place. He was holding a staff that was glowing as he was preparing to shock him again. The boy shut his eyes preparing to receive the punishment that he didn't deserve, but it never came. The boy managed to open one and then the other. What he saw was a young boy standing in front of the supervisor protecting him.

"What the hell?!" said the supervisor with shock.

"Excuse me my good sir. I have a need for that boy and I would appreciate it if you didn't harm him."

The boy and the supervisor turned towards the voice and saw Brain walking towards them. He looked at the young boy on the ground and smiled having to have found his fourth member.

* * *

Meanwhile close to the coast of the tower, a group of people were running away trying to escape. Above them strange flying creatures were in pursuit of them. The strange beasts were bright orange with bat like wings, no eyes, and had rows of sharp teeth chasing after them. The people ran as fast as they could trying to escape, but one after another they were pinned down by the creatures. Soon enough only three remained. Out of the three a single boy with hair black and shaven, his eye brows blond, and a long pointed nose that would rival Pinocchio's was running the fastest out of the three.

He ran and he ran not daring to look back at the creatures. Then he creatures began to fire blasts of fire from their mouths in the hopes of incapacitating the boy. The boy kept on running feeling the heat of the explosions on his back. He could see the sea getting closer and closer.

"Just a bit more!" he thought. "Just a bit more! If I can just make it to the sea... I can get out of here."

He was almost there when suddenly someone stepped out in front of him blocking his means of escape. The boy was running so fast he couldn't stop in time. He bumped right into the person standing in front of him making him fall flat on the ground. The boy then immediately cringed in fear as he lay on the ground.

"Please don't hurt me! I don't wanna die! Please don't!"

"Fear not boy," said a voice. "I have no desire to kill you. In fact it's the opposite. I have great need for your speed."

The boy looked up to the person that was speaking to him. He was surprised to see that it wasn't any of the supervisors. It was someone else entirely.

* * *

Soon enough with a little help from the boy, Brain had the five children picked out and they all stood before Jellal in his throne room

"So I take it these will be the people you want?" he asked.

"Yes," said Brain. "Out of all the other people you have here, these five children have the greatest magic power."

"I see. And I take it your magic detector was able to find this out?" asked Jellal looking at the boy.

"Yes. This boy may not appear much, but he possess incredible abilities including sensing how much magic power lies in a person," said Brain. "In any case with your permission, I will take these children under my wing from now on."

"Very well," said Jellal. He then looked at all the children that stood before him. "From now on the five of you will all serve this man now. I don't know what he plans to do with you, but make sure you serve him well."

The children nervously looked at each other not sure how to take all of this news, but they nodded in response.

"You have my thanks Jellal," said Brain. "This will help me greatly for my cause."

"Think of it as payback," said Jellal coolly. "I mean after all I owe you a debt of gratitude for being my mentor teaching some of your spells and skills. Even thought I could have learned those spells without your help."

"So I have been told," said Brain as he turned around and was about to walk away Jellal called out to him.

"Hey Brain. You know I'm curious. Just what do you hope to accomplish with all these kids?" he asked. "You said that you wanted to recruit them for your guild for the sake of your 'cause', but what's the purpose of it all?"

Brain looked back at Jellal. "All you need to know is that these children are the keys I need to keep him at bay," he said. "Now then I must be on my way. I have to get started in training my new pupils right away. I will get out of your hair so you can continue with your... project."

Then Brain along with the boy and the five children disappeared into green mist leaving Jellal by himself scowling a little.

"That bastard," he muttered. "Calling what I'm accomplishing a 'project.' It's not just a project. It something that will pave they way to all those who crave true freedom. Something that's probably too much for that fool to even comprehend. Once this tower is completed, no one will be able to stand in my way. Not even you Brain."

He chuckled maliciously as the pupil in his right eye changed to a strange red symbol as it glowed in the darkness.

* * *

Meanwhile back in the town of Osia in the dojo on top of the lake, Tu Chi stood by the pool immersed in deep meditation. She seemed so still, so calm, and so focused. It seemed that if the slightest disturbance would reach her, it would make her loose focus.

Then the doors opened and then Finn walked in.

"Hello Master," he said as he shut the door behind him.

Tu Chi finally opened her eyes and looking behind her smiling.

"Hello there Finn," she said.

"Sorry to interrupt your meditation, but do you have a spare moment?" asked Finn.

"Of course," said Tu Chi. "I needed a break anyway. Let's have some tea shall we?"

A bit later, Tu Chi and Finn were sitting in the room quietly sipping their tea. Finn set down his tea and let out a sigh, one that wasn't out of content but rather something filled with slight loneliness.

"It's very quiet around here isn't it?"

Tu Chi's voice suddenly brought Finn's attention making him look towards her. Then he chuckled.

"You can tell by looking at me huh?"

"How could I not? I am your master after all Finn," said Tu Chi. "That and your sigh told me the story. You're thinking about Willy and the others aren't you?"

Finn took a drink from his tea and then set down his cup. "Well... I'm not gonna lie Master. I am. I'm just worried about them is all. I've been worried ever since they left Osia. I can't help but wonder how those kids are doing. I know I shouldn't worry... but still..."

Tu Chi took a sip of her tea and then set down her cup.

"I wouldn't be worried so much Finn," said Tu Chi. "It's natural that you're worried because you're like a father figure to them, but those kids are gonna be just fine. Especially Willy. We did train him after all and he cares about the Strauss siblings more than anything else I've seen."

"I know," said Finn looking down at his cup. "But I still get the feeling that somehow someway, Willy's gonna end up in trouble and I won't be able to do anything. I'm still upset of how all those people treated him and the Strauss siblings. All because of what happened to Mira's arm."

"I know Finn, but please don't blame them. They're just confused." Tu Chi shook her head calmly. "Fear has a nasty habit of making people do things they regret. Like fearing the unknown."

"But that doesn't give them the right to do what they did!" said Finn bitterly. "They even branded Willy a demon all because he stood up for them. It wasn't fair."

"I know. But there's no use crying over spilled water. Willy and the others have left and there's nothing much we can do about it now," said Tu Chi calmly. "There's no sense in dwelling on the past," said Tu Chi. "It already happened so you should try to move on from it. Willy and the kids are alive and well and we should be grateful for that. Isn't that good enough?"

Finn went silent then he took another sip of his tea setting it down on the table. As he did a small stalk floated up to the surface.

"Oh look at that Finn," said Tu Chi. "That's good luck."

"Yeah. Maybe it is," said Finn. "Maybe it's a sign telling me that Willy and the Strauss siblings are alright."

Tu Chi chuckled as she straightened up. "Maybe. Until then why don't we do some training? You could use something to try and get your mind off of things."

"Yeah. That could be just what I need," said Finn. "I think I will join you Master."

Just then Jade came soaring into the room landing on Tu Chi's staff. She had a small letter in her beak.

"What's that you got there Jade?" asked Tu Chi as she took a letter from her beak and opened it. She skimmed over the letter and when she finished she raised brow as if she was confused.

"What is it master?" asked Finn.

Tu Chi then looked up at Finn. "I'm being summoned to Era by The Magic Council for an important meeting."

"The Magic Council?" wondered Finn. "I wonder what for?"

"I don't know myself," said Tu Chi as she straightened up. "But I can safely say that it's probably important."

"Do you want me to come with you?" asked Finn. "You never know when you'll need a bodyguard."

"Now Finn, you don't have to worry about little old me," said Tu Chi chuckling. "But it would be nice to have some company. But won't your clinic need you if something goes wrong?"

"Don't worry. I'm sure I can ask one of the staff to cover for me," said Finn. "Besides, I've always wanted to see Era for myself."

"Very well," said Tu Chi. "We'll leave in about an hour or so."

"All right. I'll go get things ready," said Finn.

Finn and Tu Chi then left the room with Jade flying out of the room with them. After they left the room, the tea stalk that was floating in Finn's cup then sank to the bottom of the cup.

* * *

In an unknown location, Brain was stood alone in his room typing on what appeared to be a computerized display of magic scrolling through information. Then the boy appeared behind him.

"May I ask what you are doing master?" he asked.

"Just looking through information using my Archive Magic," said Brain. "I am searching for something of great importance. In the meantime, how are our newest members doing?"

"They are still getting used to their surroundings, however it will take some time for them to trust you as their guild master sir," said the boy. "In addition of going through the training regimen you have planned for them."

"That's to be expected. After all they were slaves to that Tower. If they can serve as the keys and my purpose, then that's all I really need."

"Pardon me for saying so sir," said the boy. "But what did you mean when you said that the children would serve as keys? I'm curious."

Brain then typed a few more things on the display and a picture of each other children he picked came into view.

"It is simple," said Brain. "The keys I'm referring to are the keys to a spell I'm casting on myself called Six Prayers. It's a body link spell that will seal something inside of me that would threaten to destroy my plans if he awakened."

"And what is that something sir?" asked the boy.

"Let's just say that he's an alter ego of sorts," said Brain. "In any case there are some things I want to tell you."

"What is it sir?"

"First and foremost, you are going help me train our members till they are fully capable of mastering their magic," said Brain. "In addition your job is to protect me and make sure that my plans proceed without fail no matter who or what you have to sacrifice. That is the way of my guild known as the Oracion Seis. Is that understood?"

The boy got on one knee and bowed before him. "Understood sir."

"Good. And one more thing. You all will need aliases so that way no one will discover your identities if you are defeated or taken by the enemy," said Brain. "I won't give our newest members their aliases until they have fully mastered their magic powers, but I have already chosen the perfect name for you based on seeing your powers and abilities."

He paused impressively.

"From this moment onward, you will be known as Shark. Like the name suggests, you pursue your prey with unpredictable speed and power until you utterly defeat or capture it. Not to mention you have complete dominance over the water in it or out it. Is that all right with you?"

The boy said nothing. Then he straightened up and looked at Brain.

"If that's the name of what you wish to call me, then I will accept it gladly sir," he said.

Brain smiled darkly. "Very well then. Shark it is then." Then he turned back towards his display of Archive magic. "Now I must continue with my research."

"Shall I start training the children sir?" asked the boy.

"Not just yet," said Brain. "I have something things that I need you to do for me."

"Very well sir. Just tell me what I need to do and I will do it for you gladly."

"Good," said Brain smiling more. "I have big plans for you and my new guildmates. Big plans indeed."

Brain then let out a throaty chuckle knowing that his plan was now getting underway and he would stop at nothing to achieve his goal. Even if he had to use a puppet like the boy to do his dirty work or use the children as pawns like in a game of chess.

* * *

 _All right folks! Another chapter has been successfully uploaded!_

 _If this Willy has been given the name Shark. I know it's predictable, but I could pass that up!_

 _To me it's the perfect alias!_

 _Anyhoo, if you liked what you read and wanna leave a review or wanna tell me some things I need to improve on, let me know!_

 _Dragoman out!_


	36. Chapter 36 Aiming for our goals

_Another chapter up and running!_

 _From this point on, we're gonna dive right into the main Fairy Tail storyline!_

 _Anyhoo, enjoy and happy reading!_

* * *

Chapter 36

Aiming For Our Goals

 **Six years later...**

It is now the year of X781. In a ruined town surrounded by stone houses of different shapes and sizes with damaged archways and steps, a lone building stood standing out out of all the others. It was double storied, well maintained, and inside looked just as well kept too. There was a flight of stairs that led downwards which eventually led to a small rec room. This was where a dark guild called Naked Mummy made it's home. The people in this guild all resembled monkeys and all they specialized in Guns Magic. They didn't seem like much but a few of the members had a tendency of causing trouble thieving from people in town whenever they day, the guild was laughing and partying having a good time.

Among them were two of the their strongest. Other than looking like a monkey like the others, one of them had a large black afro paired with side burns with the Naked Mummy guild mark on it. On his face was a pair of dark sunglasses that covered his eyes and had gold teeth that sparkled. His outfit promised of someone you would see back in the 1970s, a diamond-patterned shirt, with a polka-dotted tie circling its open collar and light pants held up by a belt covered in studs and platform boots. He even had rings on his fingers.

The other one had an attire that comprised of a poncho-like cape that had diamond-shaped motifs on the edges and had a mantle with thin strips hanging from it. He also had shoulder pads and also wore striped pants and simple shoes. Like the others he also had the face that was like a monkey's. However he had very long, fluffy, and blonde spiky hair giving it the appearance of a long spike with darkened red ends. He didn't have any eyebrows, had small, strange lockings looped into his mouth and lower-lip making them look like stitches and had the Naked Mummy guild mark on the top of his nose.

These two were Zatô and Gatô. Two of Naked Mummy's strongest members.

"Man things seem pretty boring here. Eh Big Bro Gatô?" asked Zatô.

"Yeah. You said it Big Bro Zatô," said Gatô. "But I don't know if this is the time to be lounging around."

"Why you say that Big Bro Gatô?"

"You know why Big Bro Zatô. The deadline for the protection fee for the Oracion Seis is coming up soon and we gotta pay them before things get rough."

"I know and don't worry about that. I already sent a squad of our members to go get the money we need. They'll be there and back again with the money before you know it."

"If you say so bro," said Zatô. "But I don't know if this is the time to be lounging-"

"There you go again repeating yourself," interrupted Gatô. "Seriously bro. You need to stop that man. I heard you the first time around."

"Sorry bout that bro. It's a force of habit," apologized Zatô. "I'm just worried about how the deadline for the-"

Suddenly there was a loud noise that was heard up above causing everyone to look up towards the stairs their attention drawn. First there was silence, then the sound of footsteps was heard as someone came down the stairs. The Naked Mummy members immediately got on their feet. Some of them had their guns ready aimed right toward the stairs ready to attack whoever was intruding, while others stood away not sure if they should do. Gatô and Zatô even stood up preparing themselves to attack whoever decided to invade on their property.

The footsteps grew louder and louder until finally a solitary figure stepped out from the shadows and into the light. He wore a black cloth mask that covered the upper part of his face even his eyes. His outfit comprised of a red shirt with a white symbol with a black coat on top, a pair of baggy navy blue bottoms with a pair of black shoes, and on his arms were black fingerless gloves on his wrists. The guild members aimed their guns and prepared to fire. Zatô and Gatô upon seeing this man immediately felt their faces pale and their skin start to get clammy.

"Hey Bro... Is that... who I think it is?" asked Gatô.

"Yeah Bro. It is," said Zatô nervously.

"Hey you! Identify yourself!" demanded a guild member.

"Yeah! And who do you think you are bursting into our guild hall?!" said another. "Give us one good reason why we shouldn't shoot your ass!"

The man calmly looked around saying nothing. Then he slowly walked up Zatô and Gatô not caring if the guild members were pointing their guns at him. The guild members got ready to fire their guns to dispose of the man.

"Hey! Are you deaf or something?! We asked you to identify yourself!"

"You looking to get shot?!"

"Hey! All of you! Lower your guns!" snapped Zatô. "Do you have any idea who you're talking to that way?! Show some respect!" He turned to the man. "I'm so sorry for their rudeness Mr. Shark sir. Please forgive them!"

"That's quite alright," answered the man. "I take it that two are the ones known as Zatô and Gatô of the dark guild known as Naked Mummy correct?"

His voice was stoic and calm, but at the same time had a tone that made it sound intimidating.

"y-yes sir," said Zatô. "I'm Zatô and the guy behind me is Gatô."

"Good. Then I have a message for you as well as your entire guild from Brain," said Shark. "As you're well aware your protection money is due in the upcoming deadline. However there's something else you need to know about that. As of now, the protection money is being increased to 100,000 jewel."

"What?!"

Zatô and Gatô as well as everyone else in the guild gasped in shock and slight anger.

"What the hell?! Why the sudden increase?!" cried a guild member. "We don't have that kind of money!"

"I'm only here to tell you what my master Brain told me to tell you," said Shark. "If you all have any problems you would have to take it up with him. It's not my problem"

"Smart aleck bastard! What'd you say?!"

"Now you're gonna get it!"

A couple of angry guild members aimed their guns at Shark ready to shoot him, but then Shark turned around and dashed straight by them in a blinding speed until he was standing at the entrance of the stairs. The Naked Mummy guild members stood stupefied trying to comprehend what had just happened.

"I'll say it again," said Shark. "If you have a problem with it, then take it up to my master and not me. However if anyone of you has a problem with me and wishes to fight me... I won't hesitate to attack. But be warned... like my name suggests, a shark will always fight it's prey and utterly destroy it. Keep that in mind."

And with that, Shark walked up the steps and disappeared into the shadows. A few seconds of silence passed. Then the guns that the guild members were holding suddenly split in half and fell to pieces on the floor. Everyone stared at the destroyed guns in shock and then at stairs where Shark left.

"When the hell did he..." murmured a guild member.

"He destroyed our guns in the blink of an eye!" said another. "Just who the hell is that guy?!"

"That's someone you don't wanna mess with," said Gatô.

"No kidding," said Zatô. "He's one of the members of the Oracion Seis as well as Brain's right hand man. An assassin as well as a powerful wizard. The Demon of the Sea, Shark."

"Yeah... he's a guy that you don't wanna mess with," said Gatô.

Normally Zatô would tell his brother that he was repeating himself, but this time he let that one slide.

* * *

Back outside of the Naked Mummy guild, Shark had just stepped out of the building having delivered the message and was just about to return to base when he heard a voice inside of his head. The voice belonged to Brain who was speaking to Shark telepathically.

 _"Shark. Do you copy?"_

 _"Yes Master Brain. I copy."_

 _"Did you do what I told you to do?"_

 _"Yes Master. I did what you asked."_

 _"Good. Now hurry back to base. We have plans to discuss."_

 _"Understood Master. I'll hurry back as soon as I can."_

The telepathy was then cut of and Shark spread his black water wings and took off into the air disappearing into the distance beyond.

* * *

In an unknown location, in a room filled with candles, Brain stood typing on his display made from his Archive Magic. He still looked the same as he always did, however he now had black markings all over his body including a symbol that covered his chest and abdomen. Then Shark came into the room.

"I have returned Master," he said. "Forgive me if I have arrived so late."

"It's no problem Shark," said Brain. "You needn't worry about things like that. I did give you a meager task after all. Besides, you're just in time."

Just then, there was a loud thunk noise causing Shark to turn his attention behind him. There standing there were five people. The same people that were once the children that were recruited from the Tower of Heaven. Now they all were members of the Oracion Seis and each one of them had gone through a couple of changes and given their respective codenames.

One of them was the boy with the pointy nose. He now had a blonde mohawk on top of his head, long eyebrows, wore a pair of sunglasses with green lenses, a strange metal chin guard, and wore an outfit comprising of a red and white racing suit, the jacket being red with white sleeves and the pants being white and the shoes being blue. He was carrying what appeared to be a large coffin. He was known as Racer.

The second man happened to be the tallest of the group. He had long flowing orange hair that went past his hips, had a geometrical face, wore a black loose shirt with light sleeves adorned by a series of dark merged rhombuses with a large, white collar with red-brown pants tied tucked by shoes that were black on the bottom and white on top. He also had a large brown beaded necklace and was carrying a book in his right arm. This man was Hoteye

The third still retained his appearance back when he was little, however he too showed significant changes. On his bang with his black and white hair were brown beads. His outfit was a black leather vest with white fur trimming, a white armlet around his right bicep, and a black choker around his neck. He also wore a pair of yellow pants with black designs on them and burgundy boots. He sat on top of a floating carpet fast asleep and snoring peacefully. He was Midnight.

There was also a young woman. She had short silver white hair in the style of a bob cut. Her attire consisted of she wears a short dress made up of white feathers with two feathery wings that hang from her back. The dress split just above her bellybutton that revealed a lot of her cleavage in the shape of a v and is also lined by a row of long feathers on both sides. She also had a dark-blue ribbon around her head with four bows hanging from it with two on each side, had long, dark blue gloves that reached her shoulders and knee-length stockings, and light blue, feathered boots. She was Angel.

Finally the last man had his maroon hair pointed upwards into a tuft, wore circular earrings, and had snake like features on his face. His outfit consisted of an white coat with purple inner lining and black metal armbands just above his elbows. He also had a black shirt and a pair of crimson leather pants held up by a studded belt with other belts circling diagonally the upper parts of his legs and brown shoes. He had a giant purple snake that was lightly wrapped around him. He was called Cobra.

"So you all finally made it back," said Brain. "Did you complete your mission?"

"Yeah we did. But this thing was freaking heavy," complained Racer. "I couldn't even get to the speed I wanted to to get it here."

"Oh quit complaining Racer. At least we got what came for right?" said Angel. "Besides, you know that there's no one as fast as you."

"I would have loved to help you, but then you would have to pay me with money," said Hoteye.

"Oh brother Hoteye. Can't you think of anything else other than money?" said Cobra flatly. "Even your thoughts are filled with money."

"And what's wrong with that?" shrugged Hoteye. "After all, it's money that makes the world go round! Oh yeah!"

"Now that everyone is here," said Brain. "Let's proceed to the plan. As you're all well aware, we the Oracion Seis have one goal on our minds. To find a destructive spell known for it's power over light and darkness called Nirvana. With it, we will be able to turn all the light guilds that are out there against each other and then total chaos will ensue and we will destroy anyone who gets in our way."

"We know all of that Brain," said Cobra. "But do you even know where Nirvana is? I mean we've been looking for a while now and we still haven't had any luck."

"Naturally I took the liberty of narrowing down the locations," said Brain. He snapped his fingers using his Archive Magic and then a display appeared showing a map of a particular location with a red dot in the middle. "I've tracked it's location and now I know that it's located somewhere deep in the Worth Woodsea somewhere north."

"And that's where Nirvana is?" asked Angel. "Seems simple enough."

"Oh yeah! Once we find Nirvana, we can sell it for money! Ooh! I'm feeling giddy just thinking about it!" said Hoteye excitedly.

"Will you give it a rest already?" snapped Cobra. "Seriously. Money isn't the answer to everything."

"All right enough chatting around already," said Racer. "I say we get busy and start looking for Nirvana. The faster we do that the better."

"Now hold on a minute Racer," said Brain. "There's one more thing we have to discuss."

"You mean our plan of action in case we're attacked? I don't see any reason to bother," said Cobra shrugging his shoulders. "After all each of us has the power to take down an entire guild all by ourselves."

"That may be so Cobra," said Brain. "But it is better to be safe than sorry. And try not to listen in on my thoughts, one of these days it could end up being your downfall."

Cobra shrugged his shoulders and let out a humph under his breath as Brain continued.

"Now listen up. Racer, Cobra, Hoteye and I will continue search in the Worth Woodsea for Nirvana. Angel you will stand by and be the look out for anyone who comes by in the area. If there any intruders out there, you will report them to me."

"Understood sir," said Angel. "But what should happen I encounter someone who's just as strong as I am?"

"In that case you're going to need help," said Brain. He then turned to Shark. "Shark. I want you to assist Angel. Help her and follow her orders. Is that understood?"

"Yes Master," said Shark.

"That guy is so weird," said Cobra. "I can never hear what that guy is thinking. It's like he's some kind of zombie of something. I don't understand way you have him in the first place Brain."

"Let's just say I have my reasons," said Brain.

"And boss what about this thing?" asked Racer pointing to the coffin. "Should we bring this with us?"

"That won't be necessary," said Brain. "Leave it here. Now go. Fulfill your missions and report to me if there is anything out of the ordinary."

"Yes sir," everyone replied.

* * *

Meanwhile high up in the air, an ominous air ship was silently floating in the clouds undetected to anyone. It was large in size and looked like a giant boat and it was also hovering by red glyphs on the bottom. This ship belonged to another dark guild named Grimoire Heart. Inside the ship, a certain girl who had too grown up the past six years stood there watching the ground below. She now had long purple hair in the style of pigtails wearing a purple dress with a black bow on the back. She had a red Grimoire Heart symbol on her back and was hold what appeared to be a crystal ball. She played with her crystal ball and then turned toward a shadowy figure sitting on what appeared to be a bony throne.

"The Oración Seis huh?" she said. "Sounds to me that they're making their move. How should we respond to this Master Hades?"

"We shall allow them to do as they please Ultear," said the shadowy figure on the throne. "For the moment at least. After all once they make their move, the people on the other side are not going to stand idly by. And in the confusion that come due to their chaos, we will take advantage of that opportunity to find the remaining keys to Zeref's seal. And maybe if we're lucky perhaps some of our rivals will be eliminated in the process as well."

Ultear smiled. "Such as Fairy Tail perhaps?" she asked.

The man who Ultear called Hades answered with a throaty chuckle.

* * *

In the town of Magnolia, at the Fairy Tail guild hall has changed much over the past few years. The guild hall itself had gone through a big remodeling and the guild itself had new recruits to their ranks. One of the recent newest members in particular was looking at the request board. She was a young girl with blonde hair with a ponytail on the side. She wore a sleeveless blue and white shirt with a blue mini skirt with strange keys and a whip on the sides and black leather high heeled boots.

"Now then... I wonder which job looks good?" she murmured to herself.

As she looked around, a certain group of people of Fairy Tail members walked up to her causing her to turn her attention towards them. They pretty much looked the same as they did when they were kids, but now they had grown up very well. The group comprised of Natsu, Gray, and Erza along with a blue cat named Happy.

"Hey Lucy! Watcha doing over there?" asked Natsu.

"Oh hey guys," said Lucy. "Nothing much. I'm just looking for a job to go on."

"I take it you're looking for another job to help pay for your rent?" asked Erza.

"Yeah. But I don't know which one I should go on," said Lucy squinting her eyes at the requests. "Each one's more crazier than the last one. Finding a cursed bracelet, releasing a curse from a cane, and even reading a love horoscope? Seriously! What kind of jobs are these!?"

Then Natsu picked a flyer from the board.

"What about this one?" he asked as he handed it to her.

Lucy took a once over with the flyer and then her eyes went wide with excitement.

"Oh wow! All we have to do is to subdue some thieves for 160,000 jewel?!"

"Sounds like you picked a winner," said Erza. "And since we have nothing else going on right now, why don't we come with you?"

"Yeah. I've been meaning to let out some pent up energy," said Gray. "Things have gotten boring around here and I need something to take out my energy on. And what better why than to take it out on some thieves."

"Well... sure. Just try not to overdo it this time OK?" said Lucy.

"Oh yeah! I'm all fired up now!" said Natsu pumping his fist. "Let's go on that job right now!"

"All right then," said Erza. "Let's get it approved by Mira and we'll be on our way."

Then went all went over to the bar where Mira was cleaning and working the bar. She especially had changed a lot over the years. Her silver hair was longer than ever having curls on the ends and she had an upwards ponytail tied above her forehead. She had a very curvy figure, wore a red dress with pink bows and frills, and wore the same flower bracelet and blue necklace that was given to her. Most of all her belligerent nature had changed to a sweet kind and caring one.

"Well hello everyone," said Mira. "Have you decided to take a job?"

"Yeah. We're gonna be taking this one," said Natsu showing her the flier.

"All right then. Good luck," said Mira smiling. "Try not to destroy anything. Otherwise it's gonna come right out of your pay."

"Don't worry about that Mira," said Erza. "They have me coming with them, so I'll make sure everything goes smoothly."

"That's what you said the last time," mumbled Lucy.

"Anyway we're off. See ya!" said Happy.

And with that, the team of Natsu, Lucy, Erza, Gray, and Happy left on the job leaving Mira by herself. As she watched them leave, Mira went on with her daily routine at the bar. As she worked the bar she couldn't help but feel a hint of nostalgia.

"The time sure has flown by," she said to herself. "Six years isn't much, but it seemed like a day ago."

She looked down at her necklace that hung around her neck. It was the same necklace that a good friend of hers gave her six years ago. She held it in her hand and her feelings of nostalgia slowly began to turn into feelings of saudade.

"Hey Sis!"

Then her thoughts were interrupted by Mira's brother Elfman who had just came up to her. He too had gone through major changes. He was now a tall and muscular man. His silver hair was now pointed upwards in wavy spikes instead of his messy bowl cut. He had a stitched scar on his right eye and wore an outfit that was something like a high school hooligan would wear. A dark blue jacket with a kanji sign on the back that said "No. 1" and pants with geta sandals.

"Oh hi Elfman. What's up?" asked Mira.

"I was just gonna tell you that I was gonna take this job," said Elfman holding up a flier. "It's perfect for a real man like me."

"OK then. Be careful out there," said Mira.

"Hey. By the way, you feeling OK Sis?" asked Elfman. "You look a little out of it."

"Oh I'm fine," said Mira. "Just got some things on my mind is all."

"You were thinking about Willy weren't you?"

Elfman's question made Mira flinch a little causing her to look at him. Elfman stared at Mira and then gave her a light smile.

"Come on Mira. It's so obvious. After all I am your brother."

Mira smiled sadly. "Was it that obvious?"

"Kinda. Considering that you're still wearing that necklace he gave you," said Elfman. Then he spoke in a low voice so no one would hear him. "We all miss him too you know. I just wish that we knew where he is right now. It's been six years already. It's bad enough that he's been gone for so long and then after that the doctor who was there disappeared as well? The master even talked to the magic council and they still couldn't find anything. I just can't help but feel that something's happened and he... he might have..."

Mira said nothing, but she knew what Elfman was going to say. Then she gripped the necklace around her neck. "I know Elfman. But... I refuse to believe that. Call me naive or stupid... but I feel that he's still out there somewhere. After all he made a promise to me... to us that he'd come back no matter what. And as long as I have this necklace... I will always remember that promise."

Elfman stared at Mira and a smile worked it's way to his lips. "Yeah. You're right. I'm sure he'll be OK. Things may look bleak now, but he'll be back. After all he's a real man."

Mira smiled back at her brother.

"Well then," said Elfman. "I'm gonna go out on this job. I'll see you later Sis."

"All right then. Bye Elfman."

And with that Elfman walked away to go on his job leaving Mira by herself once again. She decided to get back to her duties and started to clean the dishes. As she did she nonchalantly looked up and smiled a little.

"That's right," she thought to herself. "I know that you'll be back soon... just please be OK... Willy..."

* * *

 _And that's that! Before I end this chapter..._

 _To answer some of your questions based on your reviews..._

 _I will try to post a new chapter of this story once a week on Friday._

 _In addition, when it comes to Willy's power I'll reveal that a little bit later. It's not gonna be like some kind of power level thing. After all to quote someone from Team Four Star..._

 _POWER LEVELS ARE BULLSHIT!_

 _Anyhoo... if you want to leave a review or if you have any questions feel free to ask me or PM me._

 _Until then..._

 _Dragoman out!_


	37. Chapter 37 Assemble and Defeat!

_Here we go everybody!_

 _We's about to go on a wild ride!_

 _Plus I'm giving something a try make it give a feel. So tell me what you think._

 _ _Sit back, relax, and enjoy!__

* * *

 _ **ai mo yume mo kimi to naraba**_  
 _ **majikaru ni kawaru**_

 _A young girl with bright blue hair opens her eyes and smiles creating a small ball of magic in her hands seeming to twirl around. She holds out her hand holding the ball of magic causing it to shine making everything go white._

 _ **saa egao no mahou wo kakeyou**_

 _We are then seeing the sky with the sun and a circle of clouds. Then we see dozens of fists being put in the middle._

 ** _mondai darake no_**

 _The fists are revealed to belong to The Allied Forces and the Fairy Tail logo appears._

 _ **mondai darake no pawafuru na sekai ni**_

 _We see Natsu, Happy who are both in Captain Morgan poses, Lucy, Erza, and Gray as we then see an orange Fairy Tail mark._

 ** _chotto akogareteta_**

 _We then see the team of Lamia Scale comprised of a bald headed man, a young girl with long pink hair, and a young man with bluish silver hair as the camera pans from their feet to their faces upward until we see a green Lamia Scale guild mark._

 ** _utomatta jikan_**

 _Next we see the team of Blue Pegasus comprised of four men. A dark tan man with black hair, a fair skinned boy with a neat blonde bowl cut, a man with spiky and messy brown blonde hair, and a short stout man with orange wavy hair. They pose as we see a blue Blue Pegasus guild mark._

 _ **ugoki hajimetanda**_  
 _ **kimi ni deatte kara**_

 _Lastly we see the young girl with blue hair looking at her companion which is a white cat in a dress. Happy then comes up to the cat love struck with hearts in his eyes. He then grabs a fish and tries to offer it to her and the cat refuses by turning her head in a humph. The blue haired girl smiles and then we see a light blue Cat Shelter guild mark. We then see all of the allied forces looking bright and cheerful._

 _ **doushite umarete ikiteru no ka?**_

 _We see a coffin and a transparent image of Jellall in chains awakening from his comatose slumber and Erza looking back with worry. Above the coffin is a mysterious stone structure with six legs giving the appearance of some kind of spider. We then see a purple glowing symbol of the Oración Seis and after that the Oración Seis themselves with an explosion behind them giving them an intimidating effect._

 _ **muzukashii kotae wa iranai yo**_

 _In the fires of the recent explosion, the members of the Oración Seis appear in order of Racer, Hoteye, Midnight, Cobra, Angel, Shark, and lastly Brain who then raises his staff and unleashes his signature spell Dark Rondo._

 _ **waraou nakou sunao de ii**_

 _We now see Racer dodging the attacks made from the man from Lamia Scale who then teams up with Gray and they both unleash their most powerful and respective ice make spells. Then we see Lucy summon one of her Celestial Spirits, Aquarius while Angel summons her celestial spirit. A large machine-like sphere.  
_

 ** _shinpuru na kimochi ichiban daiji_**

 _We see Hoteye unleash one of his spells making the ground seem to melt, then Midnight using his own magic causing red ripples of magic to appear, Brain unleashing his Dark Rondo with Shark summoning his black water shurikens hurling them, and the bald-headed man from Lamia Scale using a spell making a wall of rock erupt from the ground in front of him._

 _ **kanashii yoru ni nagasu namida**_

 _We see Lucy seeming to be in deep thought regarding two Celestial Spirits, Loke and Aries. We then see Cobra standing on his pet snake Cubellios who now has wings smirking down his opponent which turns out to be Natsu with Happy carrying him. Natsu goes on the attack using his Fire Dragon Iron Fist, but Cubellios with Cobra riding dodges the attack with ease and tail whips Natsu towards the ground._

 _ **tsuyosa ni kaeru saa egao no**_

 _Thanks to Happy's wings, Natsu is able to save himself from falling and flies upward with Cobra and Cubellios in hot pursuit. Then Cobra attacks with his magic by slashing the air releasing a strange red colored vapor. Natsu retaliates by using his Iron Fist again as we close up to his eye soulless but determined to defeat Cobra._

 _ **mahou wo kakeru yo**_

 _We see the team of Blue Pegasus dancing to the beat of the opening until we close up to the man with orange wavy hair. Then we see Happy and the white cat fly up wards before we see Natsu, the mysterious blue haired girl, Lucy, Erza, Gray, even Happy and the white cat as the music ends._

* * *

Chapter 37

Assemble and Defeat!

In the southern part of Fiore close by to Magnolia, there's a beautiful old town close to a port known as Hargeon. This town was well known for many things like its beautiful parks and its many fine restaurants. However there was one restaurant in particular that stood out above the others. A new recent addition that was called 8-Island. Inside of the restaurant a certain group of wizards were inside working as waiters and waitresses for a job. One of which was wearing an orange waitress uniform taking the orders from two men who were sitting across from each other.

"Welcome. I'd be so happy to take your order," she said with a bright smile.

"Thanks," said one of her customers. "I'd like the Blue Sky Meat Sauce and some Holy Soda with ice."

"Beastman Curry for me please," said the other.

"Sure. Great choices you two," said Lucy as she wrote down their orders down writing in her clipboard. "Can I interest you both in some dessert as well?"

"Yeah. I think I'm gonna try the Ruby Parfait please," said the first customer.

"Make that two," said the other.

"Coming right up," said Lucy as she wrote down the rest.

"Excuse me miss," called out a man who was sitting at a table behind her. "But can I get some service over here please?"

"Yes sir," said Lucy showing off her bright smile...until she suddenly realized just what she was doing. "Wait! What am I doing waitressing?!" She then threw down her clipboard only to have it bounce back hitting her smack in the face making her let out a frustrated groan.

Then Natsu came up wearing a waiter's uniform carrying an order of food for a customer.

"Oh come on Lucy. You're working a job for crying out loud," he said. "It's just another type that's all."

"Since when does waiting tables qualify as legitimate wizard work Natsu?! And why do I have to wear this horrible outfit?!" snapped Lucy as she looked at herself looking as if she was disgusted with what she was wearing. "It's totally embarrassing!"

Natsu only sighed. "Don't look at me. It wasn't my idea," he mumbled.

Then Lucy's angry snarl softened. "I mean I guess I can rock this uniform because it looks good on me," she said as she struck a small pose.

"Whatever," said Natsu rolling his eyes.

"The chef here at 8-Island uses magic to cook all these dishes," explained Happy who was also in a waiter's uniform and carrying an order as well. "So he got the idea of making this restaurant even more cool by having the wait staff be magic users as well."

"That's right," said Natsu who was now eating the meat from his order. "You should be thanking us for taking this job for you. Be a little more grateful."

Lucy then threw a plate smacking Natsu right on his face causing the meat from his order to go completely into his mouth.

"You shouldn't be eating the customer's food you idiot!" she rebutted.

"And throwing trays is any better?!" exclaimed a shocked Happy.

Then Gray came up as well handling an order. As usual thanks to his striping habit, he was wearing nothing but his boxers and a red bow tie. "You really need to lighten up Lucy. Besides the uniforms aren't all that bad in my opinion," he said.

"You're barely even wearing one!" pointed out Lucy.

"Watch it!" warned Gray blushing a little. "Need I remind you that we're doing this to help pay for your rent you know."

"Yeah. I know. I know," sighed Lucy. "No need to rub it in."

"Besides, take a look over there," said Gray pointing to another table.

Lucy looked to where Gray was pointing and she couldn't help but be surprised. There was Erza who was wearing the same waitress outfit like Lucy strutting her way towards a group of men. She leaned on the table showing off her leg as well as her bust and flashing a beautiful yet seductive smile.

"Now... I know you boys want something. Isn't that true?" she asked in a seductive yet somewhat begging tone. "Please tell me..."

Three men immediately blushed a bright shade of red completely blown away by Erza's beauty and sexiness. They were at a complete loss for words. Until finally they succumbed to her completely.

"We'll take one of everything~!" the three of them shouted simultaneously.

"Well now... that's the spirit. That makes things a lot easier for me," said Erza. "I'm truly grateful to you gentlemen."

"It 's our pleasure ma'am!" the three men cried as steam erupted from their heads and their faces turning redder than before.

Lucy and Gray who had seen everything couldn't help but feel urked and surprised from this scene.

"Well... I guess that's one way of doing it," said Gray.

"Yeah. Seems it works pretty effectively," said Lucy.

"Ah yes... There's nothing more like the thrill of a new challenge," said Erza as she continued to work her charm on the customers.

* * *

Soon the days work was done and it was already sundown. Everyone from Team Natsu had changed back into their casual clothes except for Erza. Then they were greeted by a short elderly man in with light brown bushy eyebrows and a small toothbrush mustache. He was one of the former members of the magic council as well as the owner of the 8-Island restaurant also known as Yajima.

"A top-notch job well done kids," he said. "It does my heart good to see a bunch of young'uns like yourselves work so hard. As my way of saying thanks, feel free to stop by here anytime."

"Thank you very much," said Erza with a slight nod. "This was a good learning experience for us."

"And what's that? Your love for clothes?" deadpanned Happy who was less than amused.

"Man I'm worn out," said Gray. "I guess this must be how Mira feels after she's finished working."

"And how full her belly must be," added Natsu patting his engorged belly.

"That couldn't be further from the truth because she at least serves the food instead of eating it all!" Lucy snapped.

"It's her loss..." Natsu turning away groaning.

"And your weight gain..." sighed Lucy.

"By the way sir, if I may be so bold as to ask," said Erza with a hint curiousity. "Do you know the state of the Magic Council these days?"

Yajima scratched his head in thought. "Well... It's been quite some time ago since I've stepped down from the council..."

"The Magic Council?!"

Natsu and Gray exclaimed in surprise as they had both just now realized that Yajima used to be a member of the magic council which was pretty much true.

"What's with you two? You dunces do realize that Mr. Yajima was a member of the Magic Council right?" reminded Lucy.

Natsu and Gray just looked at Lucy with dumbfounded expressions on their faces. Yajima then went on talking.

"After Zieg- no wait... maybe... was his name Zellal?" pondered Yajima.

"You mean Jellal?" corrected Erza.

"Ah yes. That's the name," said Yajima nodding. "After he and that other interloper Ultear destroyed the place and threw everything into disarray and shambles, I made the decision to part ways with the council. And also I'm not the type to gossip, but rumor has it that they're making a plan to reestablish the Magic Council. I also want to apologize for our ignorance and misguided actions for they have caused you a great deal of trouble."

Erza certainly knew what Yajima meant. She could well remember back to the events that had transpired back in the Tower of Heaven. "It's all right. There's no need to apologize," she said. "They tell us that you stood your ground and opposed to firing the Ethereon blast right to the end. That alone makes your conviction quite admirable."

"Politics just isn't my thing," sighed Yajima. "However... cooking will always be my passion! It's what I was born to do!"

He then summoned a frying pan skillfully flipping it making food briefly appear on it. He spun around jumping and throwing his frying pan into the air making the food disappear and turn his frying pan into a bright ball of magic. He then finished by landing on the ground and the ball of light landed back on his hand turning into a frying pan. He then turned to Natsu and Gray. "Now listen up Natsu and Gray. Listen very carefully." he said glaring at them sternly.

Natsu and Gray immediately flinched and gave him their upmost attention.

"Now I expect this council to be completely different than it was before," continued Yajima. "I will no longer be there to stand up for your guild anymore. So therefore, I expect you two to think before you act now and don't test their patience with your careless destruction anymore. Understand?!"

Gray and Natsu trembled from Yajima's warning, but they swallowed as they nodded her heads vigorously. "Yes! We promise won't sir!" they both said fearfully.

"Good," said Yajima.

"By the way sir," said Erza. "There was one more thing I wanted to ask you."

"What is it Erza?" asked Yajima.

"Have you or the council managed to find him before the collapse occurred?" asked Erza.

"If you're referring to Jellal then I haven't seen or heard any word since then after I found out his projection," said Yajima.

"That's not who I meant," said Erza shaking her head. "I was talking about someone else."

Yajima hummed trying to remember who Erza meant, but then he remembered.

"Oh yeah. Him." Then he shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I haven't heard any word from him since then. Me and Makky checked everywhere, but we haven't been able to find him anywhere."

Lucy couldn't help but feel a little puzzled as Erza continued to talk to Yajima.

"I see," said Erza. "Well thank you anyway."

"But don't worry. I'll try to keep an eye out for him even though I'm not a council member. I'll let your guild know as soon as I see him."

"You have my thanks," said Erza.

Soon after in a horse carriage, Team Natsu was heading their way home as they said goodbye to Yajima.

"Say hello to Makky for me will you?" called out Yajima.

"We will sir," called back Lucy as she waved. "And thank you for the work."

Yajima smiled warmly as he watched until Team Natsu was out of sight. Then as the wind blew, his smile changed into a slight frown as he looked up into the sky.

"Ultear... I wonder where or what she's doing now?" he thought. "Not to mention that boy Makky's been searching for. I wonder if he's even still alive after all these years..."

* * *

After arriving home safely from their job, Lucy was walking home toward her apartment.

"Man. I can't wait to get home," she said. "After going around waiting tables, I'd say I deserve a good rest. I just hope that no one's broken into my room as usual. Then again I'm probably just jinxed it."

She then came to her room and opened the door and sure enough someone was in her room. However it was someone that she didn't expect to see. There sitting on the table drinking her tea was a certain redhead.

"Hello Lucy," she said. "Welcome home."

"Erza?!" exclaimed Lucy. "What the heck are you doing here?!"

"I felt that I needed to relax here for a bit," said Erza. "Do you have a problem with it?"

"N-no. Not at all," said Lucy nervously. Then she suddenly remembered. "Actually Erza, there was something that I wanted to ask you about today."

"What is it?" asked Erza.

"Who were you and Mr. Yajima talking about today?" asked Lucy. "Something about him and the master looking for someone?"

Erza looked at Lucy before her mouth turning into a frown. "Oh yes. Since you've joined the guild recently you don't know about him," she said.

"About who?" wondered Lucy as she sat down on the table across from her.

"Well you are aware of the Strauss siblings right? Elfman, Lisanna, and Mirajane? They've been here in Fairy Tail since I was a little girl," said Erza. "However... there was someone else that was with them. A young boy by the name of Willy Falconer."

"Willy Falconer? I don't think I've heard that name before," said Lucy.

"That's to be expected," said Erza. "He hadn't joined Fairy Tail yet after all. Anyway, when Mira and her siblings first came here, they were with Willy too. Apparently the four of them came from the same village. Not much was known about him, but he was a very kind boy and like a brother to them. Mira especially felt close to him. Not only that, but he was another dragon slayer just like Natsu."

"Another dragon slayer? What kind?" asked Lucy with a hint of surprise.

"A water dragon slayer," said Erza. "And I also assume that the reason for him not joining Fairy Tail was probably because that like Natsu he too was looking for information on his dragon. Other than that he was good friends with some of the guild members and was very friendly. But then things changed one day."

"What happened?" wondered Lucy.

"It started one day when Natsu challenged Willy to a fight like the belligerent boy that he is. I didn't the specifics or the reason, but I know that Willy accepted the challenge and the two of them fought. During that fight, no one really knew why or how but Willy collapsed after unleashing an attack that was similar to Natsu's and developed a high fever. After he was sent to the hospital, the doctor eventually found the cause for Willy's condition. It turned out that Willy had too much magic power stored in his body."

"Too much magic power?" puzzled Lucy.

"To put it simply the magic power was far to great for Willy's body to handle," explained Erza. "Which was the cause of his sudden fevers. At the rate he was going, Willy was going to get worse and worse even with the doctor's medicine. Which why the doctor that was taking care of him requested that he be transferred to another facility and so he was. However..."

Erza paused looking thoughtful.

"However what?" pressed Lucy.

"After Willy had left due to him being transferred, the doctor that was taking care of him disappeared as well," said Erza. "It was suspicious to say the least so the master decided to do an investigation and even asked the magic council for help. However no one has been able to find his whereabouts along with Willy's. It's been six years since then."

"Six years?!" exclaimed Lucy. "Has he been kidnapped or something?!"

"I don't know," said Erza. "At this point, he's either been kidnapped or worse. I'm more worried about Mira. She may seem happy on the surface, but inside she's worried sick about him. The only reminder she has of him is that blue necklace around her neck. I would see her sometimes gaze at it thinking about him."

"I had no idea," said Lucy. "I would probably feel worried if any friend of mine would just mysteriously disappear."

"That may be so, however we shouldn't give up hope just yet," said Erza. "Mira certainly hasn't. In fact, I have reason to believe that she's quite fond of that boy."

"Fond with him? You mean...?"

Lucy then blushed a bright shade of pink while Erza chuckled.

"Yes. I can tell by looking at her. That is to be expected considering that those two are childhood friends," said Erza. "Plus I feel the same way she does."

"Wait! You have crush on Willy to?!" exclaimed Lucy.

Erza blushed. "No! Not like that! I mean that I too believe that Willy will return soon," she said.

"Oh. Well... I hope so too," said Lucy. "I really would like to meet him. He sounds like a pretty cool person."

* * *

The next day, Lucy came into the Fairy Tail guildhall to find everyone gathered around a chart that Reedus had now just finished drawing with a light pen with all sorts with many lines and circles.

"What's all of this?" she asked.

"It's a chart listing all the dark guilds that are out there," explained Mira.

"Oui. She had me draw it up for her," added Reedus.

"It's a troubling sight to say that least," said Erza frowning. "There's even more than I expected."

"So... what brought this on?" asked Lucy.

"It would seem that they all have been really active lately," said Mira. "Therefore, we have to strengthen our ties with our fellow legal guilds."

"And what's this big circle in the middle?" asked Gray pointing to the circle in question on the chart. "Does it have a special meaning?

"I can tell you," said Juvia. "That is the Baram Alliance of Dark Guilds. The three major dark guilds in that alliance are Oración Seis, Grimoire Heart, and Tartaros. Each one of these guilds are powerful in their own right as they are fearsome, but together they're the strongest force in the criminal world today. Each one also controls some lesser guilds to do their dirty work they don't want to do themselves with the exception of one dark guild who for some reason remains independent on this chart. And that is Raven Tail."

"Ah man..." said Lucy as she took a quick glimpse through the names of the dark guilds on the chart. Then she stopped at a particular name of one that she knew very well. "Eisenwald? I think I know that particular guild." she deadpanned looking at Erza.

"I'm sure you must have," said Erza. "It was the guild where Erigor belonged to. The dark guild that wanted to kill the guild masters using a flute to cast Lullaby which turned out to be a demon."

"Now that I'm seeing them on the chart like this," said Gray. "I guess Eisenwald turned out to be a some kind of sub guild that worked under this Oración Seis."

"Yeah. I've seen a lot of these guilds before," said Wakaba. "I think that some of them used be legal guilds before they went bad."

"Didn't there used to be one called Ghoul Spirit? What happened to that one?" asked Macao.

"You can thank the Thunder Legion for that," said Mira. "They managed to take out that one."

"Well that's good news," said Lucy.

"Back when me and Gajeel worked for Phantom Lord, we also took out most of the dark guilds that were under Oración Seis except for Fairy Tail of course," said Juvia but then she quickly corrected herself smiling brightly. "but we're all good friends now right?"

"I don't think that you should be reminding us of that with a smile if I was you Juvia," said Gray flatly.

Lucy then started getting the shivers after coming to a realization. "This is so scary... Guys? You don't think that the Oración Seis will take out their revenge out on us will they?"

"Ah come on Lucy. Relax," soothed Wakaba. "There's no need to worry your pretty little head. From what I heard, they only have seven members in the guild anyway."

"Only seven? Sounds like a pretty puny guild if you ask me," said Macao. "Not to mention their seems a bit off to me. I mean they have seis in their name which means six and they have seven members? Doesn't make sense."

"Aside from the name, don't underestimate them," said Mira in a warning tone. "There may be seven of them, but they make up one of the most powerful dark guilds out there."

"Speaking of the Oración Seis," said a voice.

Everything turned their attention to the voice who it turned out to belong to Makarov who was standing by the main entrance.

"We just received the task to take them out and destroy them."

"What?!" everyone gasped.

There was a long pause of silence. Then Mira broke the silence with a cheerful greeting.

"Well welcome back master. I hope you that had a good time at the conference."

Everyone then comically fell to the ground from the shock.

"Mira... that's not exactly the question you should be asking here," said Lucy.

"That aside, Master what do you mean by that?" asked Erza.

"The recent activity from Oración Seis was the primary focus of the conference I just came from," said Makarov. "They pose a major threat that cannot be ignored. Therefore that must be dealt with as soon as possible before they can harm any of our fellow guilds. We have sworn to protect them after all."

"And let me guess," said Gray. "We gotta do all the heavy lifting again as usual? How annoying."

"Don't tell me... that Fairy Tail has to assume the role of taking on the Oración Seis by ourselves?" Juvia asked with a tone of shock.

"This enemy is far more powerful than anything we had ever faced before," continued Makarov as he walked down the steps in front of his guild mates. "Taking them on all by ourselves is not only reckless but dangerous. Not to mention that we would have the entire Baram Alliance out for our heads, which is why we of the Fairy Tail guild will join a coalition of magical guilds."

"A coalition?!" everyone exclaimed.

"Yes. Comprised of Fairy Tail, Blue Pegasus, Lamia Scale, and Cat Shelter. These four guilds will choose wizards to represent them in our alliance. Together we will work together to bring down the enemy."

"Oh come on Gramps!" said Natsu who had now spoken up for the first time. "We can handle those guys all by ourselves! In fact I can take them all on by myself!"

Erza then gave Natsu a punch on his cheek making him tilt his head. "Don't be a fool Natsu. The Master is wise to consider the consequences afterward."

"Wait... hold on a minute! We're only talking about seven people right?!" said Lucy who was now feeling more scared than ever before. "Then how crazy strong and scary are these guys going to be?!"

* * *

Meanwhile close by near the Worth Woodsea, the Oración Seis were all standing close to the ledge looking out towards the endless sea of trees below. In the distance, they could see a black cloud several feet away from them.

"I can hear it," said Corba as he petting his snake under his chin. "That sweet, sweet sound of light crashing right to the ground."

"Don't go being all quick tempered by jumping to conclusions Cobra," replied Racer. "But then again speed is a wonderful thing."

"How could I be jumping to conclusions when we have found what we've been searching for?" said Cobra with smirk. "The magic that we've been seeking all this time is right under our noses. I'm sure of it."

"Yes. The ancient and hidden magic that has the power to turn pure light into complete and total darkness," said Hoteye excitedly. "Oh yeah!"

"Nirvana," murmured Angel. "I almost didn't believe that it actually existed."

Midnight sat on his carpet snoring away fast asleep while Brain and looked beyond to where he saw the cloud of darkness.

"It does exist Angel," he said. "At last... that legendary power will soon be ours..."

"Look Brain, I don't mean to question you or anything, but are you sure we should place all our bets on Nirvana? It still sounds too good to be true if you ask me."

Brain pointed his staff straight at the dark cloud in the distance. "Look there for yourself. The earth in that darkness is beginning to die. The darkness alone is proof enough that Nirvana is close."

Then Shark snapped his head towards the direction from behind them.

"Something the matter Shark?" asked Brain.

Shark turned around and raised his hand causing it glow a that same oil black with rainbow tinges color. Then he turned to Brain.

"Master. I am sensing magic power levels coming from that direction. Several of them," he said.

"Is that so?" hummed Brain. "Then it would appear that we are being followed."

"What do you want us to do boss?" asked Cobra.

"Now that we have located Nirvana, I will not allow anyone to get in our way," said Brain. "Therefore... Shark and Angel will go and gather intel on our enemies. If they pose a threat, then we will strike them down without mercy."

"Whatever you say Brain," said Angel.

"Understood sir," said Shark.

* * *

In the upper part of the forest close to where Worth Woodsea was, a carriage driven by pig was making it's way along the road. Inside of the carriage was Team Natsu who were all chosen to represent Fairy Tail in the coalition. Lucy was still feeling scared and nervous. Not to mention she was now complaining as well.

"Um... I don't know about you guys and I know I've said this before, but I've got a really bad feeling about this mission," she said. "And why am I even here?! I mean I'm not all that strong! It's not like I'm gonna much help to you guys! I'll just get in the way!"

"Look Lucy, this ain't a picnic for me either," said Gray. "So quit grumbling already would you? At least you're not Natsu right now."

He pointed to Natsu who was green in face looking my sick once again suffering from his motion sickness. Lucy responded with a grumbling moan and her lips pursed into a pout.

"Listen. The master chose us himself for a reason," said Erza. "That reason that he put his faith in us so we cannot let him down."

"I know Erza," said Lucy. "But wouldn't it make sense to pick Gajeel or Juvia? They're better fighters after all."

"They weren't able to go because the master sent the two of them on a mission," said Happy.

"I don't care..." groaned Natsu slumping onto his back. "When are we gonna... get there..." He cheeks then chuffed out like he was about to throw up any second, but he managed to hold it in.

"Geez... it seems like we're always picked for the crazy missions," sighed Lucy.

"Don't think of it like that. Consider it honor," said Erza. "Today will be the first time we've ever joined a joint operation involving the other allied guilds. We must all focus our efforts on cooperating with our fellow guilds so that we can make a positive rapport."

"There it is! The rendezvous spot!" called out Happy as he saw a building in the distance causing everyone to turn their attention towards it. The building itself was a mansion colored purple with white trims on the windows and sides. And to add to that the building was covered in hearts. This mansion was going to be the place where the Allied forces will gather and take part in one of the most major war of guilds any of them have ever experienced.

* * *

 _Now we're finally gonna get to the crazy part!_

 _By the way I want to say that if you wish to give me some ideas for my fanfiction, please PM me._

 _Other than that, if you liked what you read, feel free to leave a review._

 _Dragoman out!_


	38. Chapter 38 Enter the Seven

_Another chapter up and running!_

 _I once again would like to thank you all for you reviews and suggestions!_

 _Now then... Enjoy the chapter!_

* * *

Chapter 38

Enter the Seven

As soon as the pig was parked close to the mansion, Team Natsu entered the mansion. It was very dark and quiet along with a couple statues of Pegasus here and there.

"Oh great. Another creepy mansion," grumbled Lucy.

"This is the second home of the master of Blue Pegasus, Bob," explained Erza.

Gray shuddered remembering Bob. "Yeah... that guy makes me feel funny in the wrong way," he said.

"Now Gray be nice," chided Erza. "Master Bob may be a little... eccentric, but even he deserves the upmost respect."

"Yeah... eccentric being a strong word," said Lucy.

Natsu who was now sitting on the floor was still feeling sick from the ride. "Just... tell me... when we're there guys..." he moaned.

"But we are here Natsu," said Happy.

Then suddenly a trio of unknown male voices rang out startling the group. One voice spoke first while the other two respond after.

"They're here at last!"

"At last!"

"Hey, hey, hey, hey! Hello!"

"Hello!"

"Fairy!"

"Fairy!"

"Tail..."

"Tail..."

"Wizards!"

The moment the three spoke together, a bright spotlight shone in the middle of the room revealing three young black suited boys standing before Team Fairy Tail. One man was fair skinned with blonde hair in a beat bowl cut, the second was light skinned with brown blonde hair in a messy and spiky fashion, and the third was dark skinned with neat black hair.

"We are so glad you came," the three said. "We are the Blue Pegasus' elite crew, The Trimens. Allow us to introduce ourselves."

"Hundred Nights' Hibiki," said the brown blond man with a wink.

"Holy Night Eve," said the bowl cut blonde.

"And Still Night Ren," said the dark skinned man.

"Holy crap! The Trimens from Blue Pegasus!" Lucy squeaked blushing slightly. "Those guys are the hottest wizards around! So cool! Ren Akatsuki, Eve Tearm, and even Hibiki Laytis is always on the top of Sorcerer Weekly's most eligible bachelor's list who was also in the top three over the past three months and-"

Lucy then stopped for she saw Natsu who was still feeling sick leaning on the pillar for support and Gray who was in tizzy trying to find his clothes. She facepalmed herself and let out an aggravated sigh.

"Why do those two have to be so hopeless?" she moaned.

Suddenly The Trimens then surrounded Erza checking her out and flirting with her.

"I've heard tales about your beauty and they're all true," said Hibiki.

"It's really a pleasure to meet you Ms. Titania," added Eve.

"Please why don't you sit down? And you as well miss," asked Ren as he was now looking at Lucy.

The next thing Erza and Lucy knew, the three had dragged out a couch with a colorful light up heart and seated the two of them upon it. Hibiki then got a fresh washcloth and presented it to Erza while Eve pushed out a table and sat beside her.

"Would you like to freshen up?" asked Hibiki.

"Or maybe something to eat?" asked Eve. "There's cake."

"No thank you," replied Erza.

"What's the deal with these guys?" wondered Lucy. "Are they nuts or something?"

"More like crazy," muttered Happy.

"Anyway it's a pleasure to meet future allies," said Erza turning to Eve. "I'm looking forward to working with you."

Eve suddenly blushed and began to feel kinda shy. "Is this a dream? I hope it isn't because... you're so beautiful," he said. "And I've always admired you for quite a while."

Then sudden storm of compliments caused Erza to be taken quite aback. As for Lucy, Ren was making his move on her by handing Lucy a drink.

"Here. You can have it if you want it," he said not making eye contact. "But don't get the idea that I made it for you or anything."

"Why the heck is he being coy?!" exclaimed Lucy in confusion.

"Well then you ladies must be feeling tired," said Hibiki now standing in front of the girls. "Feel free to spend the night." Eve and Ren then appeared next to him and the three bowed smiling dazzlingly. "We don't mind."

Erza and Lucy were at a loss for words. Just then another voice was heard. It was deep and sounded very suave.

"Calm down men. Give these girls some breathing room."

Upon hearing the voice, Lucy felt her heart jump. "Wow... that voice... it sounded silky smooth."

The Trimens immediately knew who that voice belonged to.

"Yes Mr. Ichiya sir!" they said.

Upon hearing that name, Erza immediately cringed in disgust. Then a small man made his way down the stairs. The man named Ichiya was extremely short had orange wavy hair, wore a white suit with a blue rose, and had a rectangular face with big cheek bones and a big nose. He also seemed to sparkle of some kind of charisma.

"It's been a long time Ms. Scarlet," he said when he saw Erza.

"Yes... but... I never expect to see you here..." said Erza who was now slightly trembling.

"Oh how I missed you," said Ichiya. "But do not worry... I'm here my sweet honey..."

"MY SWEET HONEY?!" exclaimed Happy and Lucy clearly shocked.

Erza just stood there completely frozen now trembling more than ever before which made Happy and Lucy even more shocked.

"She's... she's trembling?!" exclaimed Lucy.

"The Great Erza is trembling in fear?!" cried Happy.

Ichiya then slid down on the rail of the stairs as he spoke with The Trimens in tow.

"A surprise!"

"A surprise!"

"A reunion!"

"A reunion!"

"Oh yes! Oh yes! Oh yes!" the four said together as Ichiya landed on the floor.

"We're so sorry Mr. Ichiya. We didn't know she was your girlfriend," said The Trimens. Then they turned towards Team Natsu. "We're so sorry for our rudeness."

"That is not true and you know it!" barked Erza.

"You three! Clean up! We have some important business to attend to!" scolded Ichiya.

The Trimens immediately carried the couch away. "You got it boss!" they said.

"I think that's the third name they called him," said Lucy. "What a bunch of wackos."

"Aye," agreed Happy.

Ichiya then smiled sweetly. "It seems that destiny has brought us together Ms. Erza and Ms. Lucy. What sweet parfum!," he said. He then looked at Natsu and Gray. "You two not so much."

Now it was Lucy's turn to shiver. "He's creeping me out..."

"Me too," sighed Erza. "Although he's a gifted wizard in his own right, I'd rather not be in his company.

Then Gray stepped forward. "Hey! You crappy Blue Pegasus playboys better keep your hands off our ladies. We clear?"

"Clear as crystal. Now please leave," said Ichiya indifferently.

"Thanks for dropping by," The Trimens bowed.

Now Gray felt insulted. "We're here on some serious business you know! Do you pretty boys even know how to fight?"

"You wanna find out?" Ren asked with a challenging glare.

"Yeah. We're really tough pal," added Eve smirking.

Natsu upon hearing the word fight finally snapped out of his motion sickness. "Fight?! If there's a fight then count me in!"

"Everyone needs to calm down and-" Erza began trying to dissuade the situation, but then a shiver ran down her spine. The reason being was that Ichiya had now crept up behind and seemed to be sniffing her.

"My honey... your sweet parfum still drives me crazy," he said with delight.

Erza who had clearly had enough immediately gave Ichiya a powerful punch right to his cheek. "You stay far away from me!" she shrieked.

"Nice right hook!" Lucy complimented.

Ichiya was sent flying all the way to entrance of the mansion. At that moment a person walked in through the door and just when Ichiya was about to crash into him, the person stopped be only using his hand when upon impact froze Ichiya's face with ice. Upon seeing this, Gray immediately knew who this person was. It was the same person with blueish silver hair who was with him back when he was a kid six years ago, but now he had aged over the years. He now wore a white jacket with black fur trimmings with a red undershirt with white pants with a black pattern. He was Lyon Vastia, Gray's childhood rival. He also was an enemy at some point during the Deliora incident.

"You dare greet us with this little troll?" he spoke with an annoyed tone. "We insist that Lamia Scale deserves more respect than that."

Then he saw Gray. The moment the two saw each other, they both were surprised.

"It's you!" they both said.

"Well what do you know? Guess you joined a guild after all," said Natsu to Lyon.

Lyon didn't answer, but he did throw Ichiya away sending him flying and then tumbling to the floor in front of the Trimens.

"What's your problem Lyon?!" demanded Gray.

"He was the one who attacked me Gray," rebutted Lyon.

"Hey it wasn't his fault! That's our leader you're messing with!" defended Ren.

"Yeah! How dare you!" glared Eve.

"Why you and your men just turn around go home?" spoke Hibiki.

"Then I guess that means the women can stay and fight right?" said a feminine voice. "MARIONETTE ATTACK! CARPET DOLL!"

Suddenly the rug underneath Lucy's feet came to life knocking Lucy off balance causing her to fall foward. "Hey! Why the heck am I being attacked?!" she exclaimed. Then she realized something. "Wait a sec! I recognize this spell!"

Sure enough, a young woman appeared right next Lyon. She had long pink hair and wore a pink dress with black trimmings. Lucy took one look at her and knew who she was. It was Sherry Blendy who also was an enemy back with the Deliora incident.

"No way! Sherry joined a guild too?!"

"I was hoping you fairies haven't forgotten me," said Sherry. "But please do try and forget that for I have been reborn by the power of love!"

"And you're still a wacko as usual," said Lucy flatly.

Then things began escalate. Ichiya now had recovered from the last blow was now heading towards Erza desperate to smell her again. "More! More! I must smell more of your sweet parfum!" he said.

Using her requip magic, Erza immediately summoned a spear and pointed it at Ichiya. "Stay the hell away from me!" she cried.

"You wanna go Lyon?" growled Gray.

"My pleasure Gray," said Lyon who was not backing down.

"All right! It's time to party!" cheered Natsu as he was gearing up to fight too.

Even Lucy and Sherry were ready to throw down with each other.

"I can never love you," said Sherry.

"The feelings mutual!" snarled Lucy.

It seemed that all out fight was about to start, but then a staff slammed on the floor.

"Enough!" boomed a voice. "We're here to work together as a group to destroy the Oración Seis. This isn't the time to fight amongst ourselves."

Everyone immediately froze as another wizard made it's arrival. He was tall and muscular with a bald head, a mantle above his bare chest that was blue and white stripped with yellow strings, green armbands that went up to his shoulders, and a black loincloth.

"Yes Jura," said Lyon as he and Sherry backed down.

"That's Jura?" asked Erza with slight surprise in her tone.

"So that's him," murmured Hibiki. "Lamia Scale's top-man. The man known as Iron Rock Jura."

"Who?" asked Natsu looking at Happy.

"That guy's one of the ten Wizard Saints just like our master," explained Happy.

"Oh man... that kinda makes him a big deal," said Lucy.

"So there's four from Fairy Tail and four from Blue Pegasus eh? Please. Our guild only sent three and one of them is a Wizard Saint," scoffed Sherry causing Lucy to puff her cheeks in protest. Poor Happy however felt overlooked.

"Hey! Don't forget about me!" he cried.

"So three of the representing guilds are here," said Jura surveying them. "All that's left is Cait Shelter."

"Ah yes. I've heard," said Ichiya. "Rumor has it that they're only sending one member to represent them."

Everyone immediately looked at Ichiya in shock.

"You're kidding me! Just one!" exclaimed Gray. "For a dangerous mission like this?!"

"If they are sending only one," said Lucy fearfully. "Just how crazy intense is this person gonna be!?"

Her answer came sooner than expected. For right then and there, a small squeak was heard causing everyone to turn around. There on the floor was a little girl who lying face down on the floor having to have tripped. She moaned in pain she got up brushing herself off. She had fair skin, long flowing blue hair, and wore a blue and yellow dress.

"Um... hi there," she said. "I'm sorry I came here so late, but I come from the Cait Shelter guild. My name's Wendy Marvell. It's nice to meet all of you."

"Sh-she's a kid!" exclaimed Lucy.

"I must say that even I'm surprised," said Erza.

Everyone else stared at Wendy either surprised or shocked except for Jura.

"Now then... all the guilds are now present," said Jura.

"He's not even fazed by this?!" exclaimed Gray.

"Obviously not," said Lyon.

"What on earth was Cait Shelter thinking sending a tender girl like her alone?" asked Sherry.

"And who said she was alone you gaudy trollop," said yet another voice belonging to a female.

Then a white cat wearing a dress joined party. The moment Happy saw her he could not believe his eyes and neither could Natsu and the others.

"No way... a cat? She looks just like Happy," said Natsu.

"And she can talk too," said Lucy.

Sherry however was not impressed due to being insulted by the cat. "Lousy dumb cat... I'm gaudy," she muttered.

"That's your problem?!" exclaimed Lucy.

Wendy was a little surprised to see the cat. "Oh Carla. You followed me here?"

"Of course I did child," said Carla. "You're far too young to be traveling by yourself."

"Pretty kitty," said The Trimens.

"Wait! You flirt with cats too?!" Lucy asked incredulously.

Then Carla noticed Happy who couldn't stop staring at her and was completely lovestruck. Carla then turned her head away in a huff not watching to associate with him. Then Happy went over to Lucy and poked her leg getting her attention.

"Lucy can you do me a favor and give that girl cat my fish for me?" he asked.

"What is this? Love at first sight?" wondered Lucy. Then she realized that she had a chance to get some payback from Happy's teasing whenever love was involved with her. "Time to give him a taste of his own medicine," she thought.

"You looooove her~" she teased.

"Hey! That's my schtick copycat! And you just said it way more creepier than I did!" snapped Happy.

"Um... excuse me..." said Wendy timidly darting her eyes shyly. "I'm sorry if I'm not what you were expecting... and I know that I'm smaller and younger than all of you, and I'm not much of a fighter, but I can use support magic and stuff, so please let me join the group! I'd be so embarrassed if you sent me home!"

"Wendy! You'll never get their respect if you act like that child! Show some confidence!" scolded Carla. "I swear you'll drive me to catnip!"

"I'm sorry Carla!" apologized Wendy. "I can't help it!"

"Please forgive us," said Erza as she walked over to her. "We were just caught off guard and we didn't mean to offend you. We're really glad to have you with us Wendy."

When Wendy saw Erza, her shyness was quickly replaced with a smile. "Oh wow! You're Erza right? I can't believe it's you!"

"You're not quite the monster I heard about," said Carla.

"Then maybe you've heard of Happy the Catmander. Brace yourself because that's me," said Happy.

Carla once again ignored Happy with a huff turning her head. Happy however took this the wrong way thinking that Carla was being shy.

"She's being shy! That proves she loves me!" he squeaked. "This must be destiny!"

"Destiny of being rejected," smirked Lucy. "I dunno if you've noticed, but she's totally ignoring you."

"You're totally hopeless Lucy," countered Happy. "You would never understand about women and their wild ways."

"I really hate to break this to you cat, but... _I'm_ a woman!" growled Lucy.

"Whoa... that girl's gonna look beautiful when she grows up," said Ren.

"She's already this cute," added Eve. "And it looks like Hibiki thinks so too."

"Excuse me miss," said Hibiki as he put an arm around her shoulder leading to the couch which had mysteriously reappeared. "But would you mind please coming this way?"

"Um... OK," said Wendy nervously.

"Bad touch creepy!" exclaimed Lucy.

Ichiya and Jura meanwhile couldn't help but stare at Wendy ever since she came. The two then looked at each other.

"That girl. Her parfum's very unique," said Ichiya. "She's a far from an ordinary child."

"Yes. I sensed that about her right away," said Jura. "Her magic she somehow possesses is vastly different than our own. And I'm very sure that Lady Erza has sensed this as well."

It wasn't just Jura, Ichiya, and Erza that were curious about Wendy. Natsu found himself wondering about Wendy too.

"Hey Natsu. What's up?" asked Gray. "You're thinking even more than usual and I don't think that's healthy."

"I don't why, but I feel I've heard that girl's name somewhere," said Natsu. "But I don't know where."

"Don't think too hard," said Gray. "Otherwise your brain won't be able to handle it."

"Hey Gray. Do me a favor and remember her for me," said Natsu.

"How the hell am I supposed to do that?!" said Gray indignantly.

Meanwhile Wendy was getting the royal treatment from the Trimens just like Erza and Lucy were before.

"Um...I...uh... what's going on?" she asked not sure what was going on.

"We're just pampering a princess," said Eve setting a cup of juice in front of her.

"You are the cutest girl I've seen all day," said Ren.

"Would you like to freshen up?" asked Hibiki holding out a towel.

"Um...uh...I... uh..." stammered Wendy.

"What is with these boys?" Carla wondered.

Then Wendy happened to see Natsu staring at her. When he saw him, she gave him a friendly smile.

"So you remember her yet?" asked Natsu turning towards Gray.

Gray responded by letting out a groan and pinching the bridge of his nose.

"You shouldn't be smile at men so much Wendy," Carla warned. "It's unladylike and most especially because these men are strange."

"But... I was only trying to be friendly...!" said Wendy trying to explain, but then the Trimens suddenly began pressing her with their flirtatious ways.

"So what type of me do you like?" asked Hibiki. "Brash or proper?"

"If it's brash you're looking for, I can play the part," said Eve.

"I can play the proper role for you because you're so cute," Ren said.

"Enough! Didn't I tell you three we're on important business?!" scolded Ichiya. "Now hurry and clean up!"

"Yes dear master! Right away!"

And before Wendy or Carla had a chance to react, The Trimens immediately picked up the couch and table and carried it away.

"I think that's pretty much the fourth thing they called him," whispered Lucy to Gray.

"I"ll give them this much," Gray whispered back. "They're not that smart, but they're at least consistently inconsistent."

"All right. Now that all the participating parties are present," said Ichiya who was now standing on a square mat surrounded by four spotlights that shone brightly on him as he posed. "I say it's about time to get the mission briefing underway."

"And... the posing is necessary how?" asked Lucy flatly.

"Our first order of business is determining the location of the Oración Seis..." Ichiya declared. He paused seemingly impressively... then he unexpectedly tip-toed away. "Right after I make a quick letter of the alphabet," he said as he left.

As he left, The Trimens for some reason began applauding.

"Oh brother," mumbled Gray. "If he makes the letter poop I'm out of here."

"We believe in you teacher!" called out The Trimens.

"Would you three pick a title already?" asked an irritated Lucy.

* * *

Ichiya raced down the halls trying to get to the bathroom as fast as he could. Eventually he made it there before he could pee his pants. He ran inside and then went into one of the stalls and handled his business. Little did he know someone else had entered in the bathroom with him and it wasn't any of the allied forces.

After a few minutes Ichiya flushed and finished his business.

"Man... That feels much better," he said. "Now to head back to the-"

As he opened the door and stepped out of the stall. He found that someone was standing in front of him. The person was Shark. Then before he could look up to see who it was or react, Shark immediately attacked Ichiya by giving him a punch right on top of his head. Ichiya dazed from the sudden blow tried to fight back, but Shark attacked him again with another punch to his head and then gave him a sharp kick sending him slamming into the wall. Ichiya slid down to the floor and slumped completely unconscious. Then Angel came in.

"Well done Shark," she said. "I can take it from here."

She then pulled out a golden key. "Open! Gate of the twins, Gemini!"

A greenish blue magic circle appeared and in a puff of smoke, two strange strange creatures appeared before her. They were both small and blue with small beady black eyes each one having two antennae. One wore orange shorts and the other wore black and they both wore a brown sashes.

"Listen up Gemini," said Angel. "I want you to transform into that man Shark just beat and get whatever intel you can get."

"You got it Angel," the beings called Gemini replied. "Piri Piri!"

In another puff of smoke, Gemini transformed. They now looked like an exact duplicate of Ichiya.

"Lady Angel," said the imposter. "You have a most wonderful parfum!"

"Down boy," said Angel. "Try not to let that man's perverted thoughts take control. Now tell us what that man and his little band of wizards are up to."

"Yes my lady," said the imposter. "It would seem that they are planning to attack us and the wizards are very powerful. They're combined forces from Fairy Tail, Lamia Scale, Blue Pegasus, and Cait Shelter. They even have the Wizard Saint with them, Iron Rock Jura."

"Iron Rock Jura eh?" said Angel. "He could be a problem."

"And that only that, but Blue Pegasus managed to bring Christina with them," the imposter added.

Angel then raised a brow. "Christina huh? That's really bad news. If that let something like that get to us, we'll be finished. Gemini, I want you to go back to those wizards as that man and then when his guard his down, I want you to take out that wizard saint. Make sure you're convincing."

"Yes Angel," said the imposter.

* * *

Soon enough Ichiya returned from his bathroom break. "That's much better. Now allow me to continue," he said striking a pose. "To the north of here lies the Worth Woodsea. Inside it, the ancients seal a very powerful and magic called Nirvana."

"Enough with the posing already," said Gray.

"Nirvana?" wondered Natsu and Lucy.

"I've never heard of it before," said Lyon.

"Do you know what that is Jura?" asked Sherry.

"No clue," replied Jura.

"We don't know this magic other than it's name and that it's very destructive," said Ren.

"And that the Oración Seis want it badly," added Eve.

"Destructive magic?" puzzled Natsu.

"OK...bad feeling confirmed," commented Lucy.

"We also assume that's why they've traveled this far," said Hibiki. "To get their hands on Nirvana so they can use it for their own purposes."

"In order to prevent that from happening..." began Ichiya.

Then he and The Trimens posed dramatically radiating with sparkles.

"We must destroy the Oración Seis!" the four of them said.

"I am so over the posing already," deadpanned Lucy.

"I stopped complaining about it a long time ago," said Gray.

"We may have the advantage in numbers, but do not underestimate them," said Hibiki. "They're tremendously powerful."

He then snapped his fingers and a magic display appeared in front of him along with a keyboard and starting typing something with his hand.

"That's Archive Magic," said Jura.

"Well that's new," said Lyon. "I don't think I've seen it in use before."

"What does it do?" asked Sherry.

Then pictures of the Oracion Seis popped up for everyone to see.

"It's used to store information like these photos of the Oración Seis themselves. Don't ask how we got them," explained Hibiki as he pointed to the picture of Cobra first. "First up is the snake wizard, Corba."

"Beady eyes and a mischievous smirk? That guy practically looks like trouble," said Natsu.

"Talk about the pot calling the kettle black," Gray and Lyon retorted.

"Next up, we have a wizard who based on his name probably uses some kind of speed magic, Racer," said Hibiki pointing to the picture of the man in question.

"I don't know why, but I really don't like the looks of that guy," said Gray glaring at the picture.

"You and me both," agreed Lyon.

"Then we have a wizard who's willing to destroy an entire military unit for a price," said Hibiki as he pointed to next picture of the next member. "Divine Eyes Hoteye."

"He basically just kills for money?" Sherry asked.

"Makes me sick," growled Jura.

Hibiki then moved on to the picture of the members. "She as gorgeous as she is deadly. This is Angel."

"The pretty but deadly type huh? Is this chick for real?" asked Lucy.

Hibiki then came to the next photo. "The next member is such a mystery that all we know is his name, Midnight."

"What an odd name," said Erza. "Does that correlate to his power or something?"

"This member serves as a personal bodyguard of sorts and judging from his name, it sounds like he specializes in water magic," said Hibiki showing the next member. "His name is Shark."

"Whoa... he looks just like a ninja!" said Natsu. "That's so cool!"

"Please try not to be impressed with the enemy," said Gray.

"And finally," said Hibiki showing them the last member. "Is Brain the lead commander. Alone they have the power to wipe out guilds and together they're unstoppable even with the numbers game on our side."

"Um... excuse me," said Lucy who was now trembling in fear. "Can I vote to stay behind and not die today?"

"Me too! I don't wanna die either," squeaked Wendy also trembling.

"You may not child! We have a job to do so show some backbone!" scolded Carla.

"Hey! You wanna do something like raid a trash can since they didn't include us?" asked Happy still trying to make a pass at Carla, but all he got was another humph from Carla who once again ignored him.

"There's no need to fear," said Ichiya. "There's more to our operation than fighting. With all of your help, we may have a chance to find the enemy's stronghold."

"Stronghold? Like their base?" asked Natsu.

"Yes," said Ren. "We still have yet to locate where it is and we looked everywhere."

"However we do know that they have temporary base somewhere in the Worth Woodsea," said Eve as Hibiki pulled up another picture of a map using Archive.

"And once we've located it," said Ichiya. "If it's possible, we would like you to gather them in their base."

"How do we do that?" asked Gray.

"We beat em up and drag their butts there!" said Natsu with a predatory grin.

"So... it pretty down boils down to fighting regardless," said Lucy flatly. "Typical."

"But...why would you want us to gather them?" asked Erza.

Ichiya then pointed a finger straight up towards the sky. "Then we shall them a one way ticket of oblivion! Courtesy of the Blue Pegasus' majestic pride, The Magic Bomber Christina!"

"No way..." murmured Sherry clearly shocked. "I've always thought that Christina was just a rumor!"

"Whoa! Is that really necessary for only six people?!" exclaimed Lucy.

"That's the type of enemy we face," boomed Jura.

"Sir yes sir!" squeaked Lucy in fear.

"And in addition under no circumstances that you engage the enemy in solo combat," continued Jura. "Our best bet is to separate them and have at least two wizards fight one member."

Everyone else nodded in agreement except for Lucy and Wendy, the two now comically crying in fear.

"This is a total nightmare~!" whined Lucy.

"This is too much~! I can't take the pressure~!" sobbed Wendy.

"Will you two buck up and stop acting like children?" Carla snapped.

"Let's do this! I'm all fired up now!" Natsu smirked punching his now flame covered fist in his palm with excitement. Not wanting to wait anymore he burst through the door destroying it and raced out of the mansion. "Time to go hunt me some demons! Ready or not, here I come!"

"Natsu wait! Get back here!" cried Lucy.

But it was no use. Natsu had already raced into the distance.

"Honestly, always acting without a thought in mind," sighed Erza. "Unbelievable."

"Sometimes I wonder if he's impatient or something else altogether," said Lucy.

"And how much you wanna bet that he didn't listen to a single thing about the plan?" asked Gray.

"That's Natsu for you," shrugged Happy.

"Geez. Talk about overkill," said Ren.

"No kidding," added Eve.

"And we're gonna have to fix it," sighed Hibiki. "He could have at least used the door."

"Enough gawking. We might as well follow suit," said Erza. "Let's move."

"Yeah. Might as well play a little catch up," said Gray.

"Aww~ Do we have to?" whined Lucy.

"Stop your crying and hurry!" snapped Erza as she along with Gray and Lucy in tow took off running towards the direction Natsu went.

"Come in Sherry," smiled Lyon as he watched them. "Their energy may be infectious as ever, but we can't be outdone by them. Let's go!"

"Right Lyon!" said Sherry as she and Lyon followed suit.

The Trimens also followed after them as well.

"Looks like we're hunting demons," said Hibiki. "And an angel too."

Wendy stood there unsure of what to do and frightened out of her wits until Carla started pulling her along after the others.

"Pull yourself together child! I swear you'll be the death of me!" she said exasperated as she lead her along.

"I'm sorry Carla!" squeaked Wendy.

"Hey wait for me!" cried Happy as he flew after. "You guys need a man to protect you!"

Soon the only two that were left were Ichiya and Jura.

"I'm getting too old for this, but in any case the operation is underway," said Jura as he turned to Ichiya. "We should join them."

"Yes we should," nodded Ichiya striking a pose. "But... first things first Mr. Jura, I have to know something. Word on the grapevine is that you're one of the Ten Wizard Saints and that your skill is on par with Master Makarov of Fairy Tail. Is that true?"

"I wouldn't go that far," said Jura holding up his hand. "It's the council who decides who's worthy of bearing the title. We may bear the same title, but comparing me to Makarov is like comparing the heavens to the earth."

"I see," said Ichiya. "Then that might be the best news I've heard all day. If you're really as powerful as you say, it would make my job a lot more difficult."

Ichiya then uncorked a vial and a released a vapor which was one of his perfume spells. Jura took one whiff of it and he immediately felt his breath catch in this throat and his body grow weaker and weaker.

"What is this?!" he coughed. "Ichiiya... what are you doing?!"

Ichiya then uncorked another vial and as soon as Jura smelled the vapor that came out of it, his entire body felt nothing but overwhelming pain making him scream in agony before he dropped to the ground completely stunned.

"It's a parfum that makes an opponent lose their will to fight," explained Ichiya in a voice that sounded sinister than usual. "And in addition it causes the body to feel every manner of pain. Piri piri..." Then he shook his head and corrected himself. "Wait that's not right! I meant parfum!"

Then suddenly in a puff of smoke Ichiya disappeared and was replaced by two strange blue creatures Jura hadn't seen before.

"We're finally back to normal!" one said.

"All that guy thinks about is perverted stuff!" said the other. "Talk about being hopeless!"

"Now, now, no complaining you two. We're not finished yet."

A feminine voice caused Jura to look up and his eyes widened. There standing before him was two members of the Oración Seis. Shark and Angel.

"No... it can't be... why are you two here?!" he groaned.

"Isn't it obvious? You've been duped darling," said Angel. "We took the liberty of copying that man from his body to his thoughts and now we know all about your little scheme thanks to Gemini."

"Yeah! You can't hide anything from us," said Gemini.

Jura's eyes widened in horror and then Shark walked up to him.

"Shark. Finish the job," commanded Angel.

"Yes Angel," said Shark as his fist was cloaked with that tainted black with rainbow color tint water and slammed it straight into Jura's back. Jura screamed from the sudden blow and then he fell unconscious.

"Let that be a lesson to you children of light," smirked Angel. "There's no stopping the Oración Seis."

* * *

Meanwhile Gray, Erza, Sherry, and Lyon managed to catch up to Natsu who was able to see the Worth Woodsea in sight.

"Natsu! Wait up you dumbass!" called Gray.

"In your dreams!" Natsu shot back.

"Don't be fool!" Erza yelled. "You can't just go rushing into things on your own!"

"You're just scared that I might actually show you up this time," Natsu jeered.

Now Erza was mad. "What?! HOW DARE YOU SUGGEST SUCH A THING?!" she roared.

Natsu was so startled by Erza that he jumped right over the cliff and didn't realize until it was too late. With a terrified scream, Natsu disappeared into the trees below.

"Guess he fell over," said Gray as he and the others peered below.

"If he's not dead I'll kill him," said Erza gruffly.

"To think that I once fought that fool," said Lyon. "It's almost embarrassing now."

"Yes he hasn't changed at all," said Sherry. "But it's just another form of love."

"That's what you think?" asked Gray flatly.

* * *

Farther away from the pack, Lucy was trailing far behind crying and complaining with Wendy, Carla, and Happy behind her.

"Come on you guys wait up!" she whined. "How can you just leave me behind? Whatever happened to ladies first?"

Suddenly The Trimens appeared running right beside her.

"A gem like you should be treated with care," said Hibiki.

"Want me to hold your hand for you princess?" asked Eve sweetly.

"Don't ever leave my side ya hear?" said Ren.

"Will you three shut up?!" snapped Lucy.

"Hurry up Wendy! Don't lollygag!" said Carla as she ran still puling her along.

"I'm trying Carla," said Wendy.

"Hey! Maybe Happy's Air Service can help," called Happy.

* * *

Natsu was now running again, but he now had a large lump on his head from the fall and the others managed to catch up to him too along with Lucy and the others from the rear. As they entered deeper and deeper into the Woodsea Natsu couldn't help but sniff the air around him.

"That's strange," he said. "This forest has some kind of funky smell to it."

"You're right about the funky part," said Gray. "Not sure why, but something feels off."

"So you've noticed as well," said Erza.

"Don't let your guard down Sherry," said Lyon. "Got that?"

"Yes!" answered Sherry.

Eventually they made it to open ground and were getting close to another cliff.

"Pick up the pace you guys!" called out Natsu.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're a sturdy freak?" asked Gray.

Suddenly a large shadow from above caused Natsu to stop and look up only to have Gray bump straight into him. The two glared grimly at each other.

"So we're pulling cheap shots are we?!" snapped Natsu.

"Don't stop in your tracks like that!" Gray snapped back.

"Enough!" said Erza pushing the two apart and looked up. "Look at that!"

Everyone then looked up and their eyes widened except for the Trimens. Flying above them was a large airship in the shape of a Pegasus.

"That's it," murmured Erza. "The Magic Bomber. Christina."

"Whoa... I want one!" Natsu in awe.

"I'll say this much. It definitely lives up to the hype," said Gray.

"No kidding," said Lucy.

"All right then," said Erza. "Let's all split up and find their base."

"I get the fly the bomber thing!" called out Natsu.

"Not gonna happen," said Gray flatly.

Then suddenly Christina was hit with a massive explosion causing it to dip slightly. Then it was hit by several other explosions until it was billowing with smoke. Unable to take the recent blows and with the Allied Forces horror stricken, the once proud Christina fell from the skies and disappeared from view and with a might explosion fell to the ground. Black smoke billowed every where. There was a long silence. Then Natsu who had sniffed the air to suddenly growled.

"Gray," he said.

"Yeah," Gray replied. Then he turned to the Allied Forces. "Stay frosty guys! We got company!"

Everyone immediately got on guard ready to fight except for Wendy who hid behind a rock. Then out from the smoke, seven people stepped out from it as if they had rose up from the depths of darkness. Lucy's response confirmed everyone's fears as to who they were.

"It's gotta be them... The Oración Seis..."

* * *

 _The Oración Seis have finally appeared before the Allied Forces!  
_

 _Now it truly begins in the next chapter!_

 _Dragoman out!_


	39. Chapter 39 Down but not out

_Great news guys! This story has now officially gained over a hundred followers!_

 _Thank you so much! You guys are the greatest!_

 _In any case, enjoy the chapter!_

* * *

Chapter 39

Down but not out

Brain took one look at the ten members of the Allied Forces standing before him and he scoffed as if in disgust. "Lowly maggots. Swarming together."

"Don't expect your little attack to go your way boys and girls," said Angel taunting them with a wink. "We know exactly what you were all planning so we took the liberty of taking care of short stuff and the wizard saint."

"Yeah! We along with Shark took care of them like nobody's business!" said Gemi as he along with his twin each floated beside Angel smirking.

"Sorry but they're not coming to save your butts!" added Mini.

"No way! They were both defeated?!" exclaimed Lyon in shock.

"That's impossible!" gasped Hibiki with horror.

"There's terror in their voices," chuckled Cobra wickedly. "I can hear it."

"Come on. The quicker we wrap this up, the better," said Racer sounding impatient. "You're all in our way so I'll make sure to run you guys over so fast, it'll make your heads spin."

"Money is what determines strength in this world. Oh yeah!" said Hoteye. "If you save but a penny today, it will become a large fortune in the future. Further more-"

"Enough with the preaching Hoteye," interrupted Cobra and Racer.

Lucy looked over at the only two who didn't say a word. Shark and Midnight. Midnight was fast asleep while floating on his carpet while Shark simply stood by Brain awaiting his orders.

"Is it sad that I'm scared of the ninja and the sleeping guy?" she mumbled fearfully to herself.

"I must admit," said Erza narrowing her eyes. "Even I never expected you to show yourselves. However it does save us the trouble of tracking you down."

There was a long silence as the two sides stared each other down daring for someone to make a move. The tension so high that you could cut it with a knife.

"You ready?" Natsu asked as he cracked his knuckles smirking.

"You know it," said Gray.

Cobra sensing Natsu and Gray's fighting energy and cockiness smirked darkly. "What are you two waiting for? An invitation?" he asked mockingly. "If you wanna fight then come get some."

"You being here is enough for one!" yelled Natsu and Gray as the two of them made the first move by gunning straight for them. They dashed straight toward them and jumped into the air ready to attack.

"Take them," ordered Brain.

"Yes sir," answered Racer as he seemed to vanish into thin air using one of his spells. He then reappeared behind Natsu and Gray in the air upside down then gave the two of them a devastating rotating kick to each of their chests. "MOTOR!"

"Natsu! Gray!" cried Lucy. Then she turned next to her hearing a voice that sounded exactly like hers. To her surprise, she found that there was another her looking right back at her. It was like she was looking into a mirror. The other her turned out to be Gemini who had now taken Lucy's appearance under the order of Angel.

"Surprise!" said Gemini/Lucy as she took her whip on her hip and began repeatedly whipping Lucy with it.

"Ow! Hey! What's going on?!" cried Lucy. "Why the heck am I whipping myself?!"

"Let's go Sherry!" said Lyon as he and Sherry then joined the fight. "We have to help them!"

"Right!" replied Sherry.

The two of them raced to help their allies, but then Hoteye barred their way.

"I see you!" he said as he too cast his spell making his eyes gleam with a gold color and made a gesture with his fingers pointing toward the two in a v shape. "Oh yeah! Forget about love! All you need is money!"

Then suddenly the ground under Lyon and Sherry softened beneath them they both sank waist deep into it. Then the ground seemed to be like water as two waves of liquid ground enveloping them both.

"What is this stuff?! Quicksand?!" exclaimed Lyon as he struggled to try and get free.

"How dare he say that love isn't important?!" cried Sherry. "Love is more important than anything!"

Then the Trimens got into the fray going straight for Angel of all people.

"I'll take care of Angel!" called out Hibiki.

"What do you mean by "take care"?" snapped Ren.

"Yeah! No calling dibs!" Eve added.

Then Racer had suddenly reappeared and attacked the Trimens. First Racer attacked Ren by using his speed magic to give a sharp kick to him on the back sending him straight to the ground. He zoomed around and then attacked Eve by reappearing beside him as he ran and then gave a roundhouse kick to his chest sending him flying and sprawling to the ground.

"No! Ren! Eve!" called out Hibiki as he turned back.

Seeing that Hibiki was wide open, Racer using his speed reappeared in front of Hibiki in a headstand and when he turned back foward, Racer using his arms as springs then launched a lightning fast double kick to his chest hard before vanishing into the air. The three Trimens were now down and out face down on the ground as Racer stood above them with his back turned.

"How...? How is he doing this?" thought Hibiki as he fell unconscious. "I... couldn't read him... at all."

"If you're gonna be slow, then eat my dust," he said.

"REQUIP! HEAVEN'S WHEEL!" cried Erza as she was enveloped in a bright light using her magic. When the light dimmed, she now wore armor that was made of metal, exposed her chest and stomach, had plated armor on her chest with a metal flower over it, a skirt with metal plating and a pair of big metal wings, and a metal winged headpiece that was reminiscent of a valkyrie. She also held two swords in each of her hands.

"Impressive," said Cobra unfazed. "But that's not gonna be enough to hit me."

Then several swords similar to the ones that she was holding appeared all around Erza aiming directly at Cobra. "Now dance my swords!" she cried. "Pierce and rend!"

At her command, the swords shot towards Cobra. However Cobra was able to effortlessly dodge them all with ease as they harmlessly pierced the ground around him. Not a single one even touched him and he didn't even move that much.

"No way... How was he able to dodge them all!?" she gasped wide eyed.

Then Racer suddenly appeared behind Erza ready to kick her to the ground, but luckily Erza was able to sense his attack coming and used her swords to block him. She pushed him back and then used her magic once again.

"REQUIP! FLIGHT ARMOR!"

In a bright light, Erza once again changed her armor. She now wore a cheetah printed top, with the ears, left arm armor platted to match, with black shorts and stocking with metal boots with one being more armored than the other and had a pair of swords that were thinner than before. She then attacked Racer and Cobra at the same time with a flurry of swings with her swords her speed having to have been increased. However that speed wasn't enough to get Racer and Cobra who dodged all of Erza's attacks.

"Yeah! This is more like it," said Racer seeming to be enjoying himself. "I always love fast women."

"It's no use Titania," said Cobra smirking. "I can hear every move you make so you might as well give up!"

He managed to slip behind her and then gave her a powerful kick to her stomach.

"He _is_ reading me!" thought Erza as she flipped in the air landing on the ground recovering from the blow. "But how?!"

"You look a little confused," said Cobra. "I bet you're wondering how I'm reading you. I told you I can hear everything."

Meanwhile Natsu had now gotten up from the recent attack by Racer feeling a little irritated that he was taken by surprise. He then saw Midnight who was still fast asleep.

"Hey! What the heck are you doing sawing logs for?!" snapped Natsu indignantly. "Get up and fight sleepyheaded jerk!"

Midnight didn't respond as he continued to sleep peacefully.

"That's it! Time to wakey wakey! FIRE DRAGON ROAR!"

Having enough, Natsu then unleashed his signature breath attack unleashing a torrent of hot flames at Midnight. The torrent of flames threatened to burn Midnight about to hit him, but at the last second the flames bent as if it was redirected shooting harmlessly away from him leaving him intact from Natsu's attack.

"What the-! What just happened!?" exclaimed a now confused Natsu. "My flames should have burned him to a crisp!"

Then Racer once more using his magic appeared next to Natsu from behind. "If I was you, I wouldn't wake him up. Otherwise it's gonna be your nightmare!"

He attacked Natsu with a series of rapidly fast blows. Natsu tried to fight back, but Racer was too fast. He staggered managing to stay on his feet. Then he saw Brain standing with Shark watching the fight.

"Screw this! I'm going for the head honcho!" he said as he went straight for Brain. "And while I'm at it, I'm gonna take out that ninja guy too!"

"Shark," said Brain. "Attack."

"Understood Master," replied Shark.

He stepped in between him and Natsu and calmly started walking toward him. Natsu cloaked his fist in fire and leaped into the air.

"Outta my way ninja boy!" he roared. "FIRE DRAGON IRON FIST!"

Natsu swung his flame coated fist aiming right for Shark's face, but Shark calmly raised his hand up and then blocked the attack by catching his fist. Natsu's eyes widened in shock.

"What the heck?! How did you... Let go of me!" said Natsu trying to pull away, but Shark kept a firm hold on his fist.

"If you wish to harm my master," said Shark. "Then you're gonna get hurt."

His fist was cloaked with black with slight rainbow water and punched Natsu square in the face sending him flying. Natsu flipped and regained his footing, but Shark was immediately upon him as he cloaked his leg with water and then kicked Natsu square in the gut.

Natsu's eyes went wide from the blow as he recoiled in pain. Then he suddenly felt a strange feeling go through his body. A feeling like he had experienced this before like some kind of nostalgia, but he couldn't remember where.

"What the heck's going on?" he wondered. "What is this? Deja vu? For some reason... I feel like I know these attacks. Like this has happened to me before."

However his thoughts were interrupted as Shark went on the attack again. This time he relentlessly landed a series of punishing blows all over Natsu using his agility and power.

"Hang on Natsu!" called Gray as he got back up and prepared to use one of his spells. "ICE MAKE-!"

"LANCE!" finished a voice from behind.

Gemini had suddenly appeared behind Gray and then transformed into a copy of him using the same attack scoring the blow.

Lyon and Sherry who had finally managed to get free from Hoteye's earlier attack rejoined the fight as they both unleashed their signature spells.

"ICE MAKE EAGLE!" yelled Lyon as he unleashed an army of eagles made of ice.

"MARIONETTE ATTACK! MUD DOLL!" shouted Sherry as a monstrous creature made of mud rose up from the ground preparing to attack.

Hoteye countered the spells by using his Liquid Ground spell to make a giant tidal wave of mud. "Money triumphs over all! Oh yeah!" he proclaimed as Lyon and Sherry were knocked back by the overwhelming wave.

As the members continued taking down the Allied Forces one by one, Brain and Shark simply stood by watching the battles unfold with Brain smirking with triumph seeing his team winning the fight. Then he took a look at Erza who was still trying to land a hit on Cobra but still couldn't land a single hit.

"So that is the famous Erza Scarlet," he said looking amused. "However even with her powers, I'm afraid not even she stands a chance against Cobra."

Erza attacked one more time with her swords and Cobra was able to block both of them by blocking one by the end and the other using his elbow at the hilt. Erza glared grimly at Cobra while smirked talking right in her ear.

"I can hear it all you know," he said. "Everything you're doing is like a symphony. Your movements, your breathing, your muscles contracting, and even your thoughts. No matter how hard you try, there's no way that you'll be able to-"

Then Cobra's eyes widened. For right when he was reading Erza's thoughts, he caught of glimpse of Erza's past during her time in the Tower of Heaven. Seeing those thoughts instinctively made him take a step back as he stared at her in shock.

"No... no way," he murmured stunned. "You... you were there?"

Then Erza went on the attack again taking advantage of Cobra's surprise. "He's open!" she thought as she swung her swords aiming for Cobra's midsection, but then the ground suddenly erupted beneath her sending her into the air courtesy of Hoteye.

"I saw that! Oh yeah!"

Racer then joined the fray by giving Erza a powerful kick sending her flying.

"Hey Cobra! Quit acting like a slowpoke and pick up the pace will you?!" he snapped.

"Shut up!" Cobra snapped back. "Get her Cubellios!"

At his command, Cubellios sprung into action going straight for Erza barring it's fangs. Before Erza could try to defend herself, the snake bit down hard on her right arm injecting it's venom causing her to scream in pain and some blood to drip out. Then Cubellios threw Erza to the ground before returning to Cobra's side.

"You may be fast Titania, but that won't save you from Cubellios' poison," said Cobra as he smirked with triumph. "It's not fast acting so enjoy writhing in agony until you die."

The Oración Seis were now standing tall as the Allied Forces were utterly defeated every single of them lying on the ground in pain and agony.

"What pathetic trash," scoffed Brain. "Prepare to be no more as you embrace oblivion!"

He raised his staff above his head and began preparing to cast his Dark Rondo his staff gathering all the dark energy that seemed to come from the ground and also making the air tremble. Everyone who was on the ground couldn't get up to escape nor help but cower in response to the dark magic.

"What... what kind of magic power is this?" murmured Shelly.

"Damn it... we gotta move... but I can't move my body," groaned Hibiki.

"Me either!" said Ren.

Brain soon had the magic power he needed and got ready to cast his signature spell.

"DARK RONDO-!"

Before Brain could finish casting the spell, he suddenly stopped. He happened to look behind the Allied Forces and all the way in the back of them behind a large boulder was Wendy, Happy, and Carla who had taken cover before the fight had even started. Brain stared particularly stared at Wendy in shock as the magic power he had gathered dissipated in an instant. The rest of the Oración Seis looked at their commander in confusion.

"What the matter Brain? Why'd you stop?" asked Racer.

"You gonna cast that thing or what?" questioned Cobra. Then he saw Wendy too. "Do you know that girl or something?"

"No doubt about it... it's her..." breathed Brain. "The one who's known as The Maiden of the Sky. Wendy Marvell."

"Maiden of the Sky?" puzzled Gray as he struggled to get to his feet. "The hell does he mean?"

"I don't know," said Hibiki.

"To think that we've stumbled upon her of all places," continued Brain as his shock was replaced with a smirk. "This is quite a find my friends. "

He pointed his staff and a green stream of energy erupted from his staff taking the shape of a hand extending until it reached out and grabbed Wendy. She screamed in fright as she was suddenly lifted into the air being pulled towards Brain.

"Somebody help me!" she cried.

"Let her go right now!" yelled Carla as she and Happy chased her in pursuit.

"Hang on Wendy! We're coming to help you!" said Happy. "Just as soon as we catch up!"

"Let her go!" growled Natsu as he tried to get to his feet to help Wendy but to no avail. "What do you think you're doing striking us while we're down you unfair jerks!?"

"All is fair in money and war! Oh yeah!" exclaimed Hoteye as he once more used his Liquid Ground Magic sending the Allied Forces tossing around as Wendy grew closer and closer to Brain.

"Wendy! Grab my hand!" cried Carla as she reached out to Wendy as did she. Wendy managed to grab a paw, however instead of it being Carla's she grabbed Happy's by mistake. Then Wendy along with Happy disappeared into the air out of sight. Then Brain pointed his staff at the Allied Forces and once more started casting his Dark Rondo.

"I have no use for the rest of you maggots! Begone!" he said as he unleashed it. "DARK RONDO!"

He then unleashed a wide spread attack of dark green streams of darkness magic aimed directly at the Allied Forces from above them. It seemed to look very bleak for our heroes, but then...

"IRON ROCK WALL!"

From out of nowhere a savior appeared in the form of Jura who then cast his own spell. From the earth, large cylindrical appendages of rock sprouted out from the ground and made a roof protecting the Allied Forces from the incoming attack. The Dark Rondo collided into the roof that Jura made, but the roof of rock still held saving the Allied Forces. The Allied Forces then managed to get back on their feet after recovering.

"Just in the nick of time," gasped Jura as he sighed with relief.

"Jura! Way to go!" cheered Sherry.

"Yeah! That was awesome!" said Eve clearly impressed. "You're one of the best wizards ever!"

"I agree. You saved our lives," said Hibiki. "We owe you one big time."

"For a second there I thought we were goners," said Lucy. "Thanks a million."

"Damn those jerks!" growled Natsu as he got to his feet. "I'm gonna make them pay!"

He looked back ready to fight the Oración Seis again, but they were nowhere to be seen.

"Damn it! They're gone!" he exclaimed with anger. "Where'd the hell they go!? Those jerks got away!"

"Take it easy Natsu," said Gray. "Those jerks are long gone by now."

"Damn it," growled Ren wiping the dirt from his cheek. "They mopped the floor with us."

"Well that's was expected," said Eve. "After all they're way stronger than us. We didn't even stood a chance."

"You have to give them some credit," said Lyon. "They're an unbelievable group with great power."

"No kidding," said Hibiki. "Their magic is way more stronger than the rumors suggested even though there was only seven of them."

"Not to mention with what they did to Christina," murmured Sherry who could now see the wreckage of the Magic Bomber.

"And according to Angel who has the ability to look into a person's mind, they even know of our mission," said Jura. "We're just lucky that no lives were lost."

"Wait a sec. What about the people inside?" asked Lucy with a hint of worry. "I mean wasn't there anyone controlling it from the inside?"

"Relax pretty lady," said Ren. "There was no one inside."

"That's right," said Eve. "Christina has a remote control function. We were planning to climb aboard once we found their base however..."

"As you can see we never had a chance to," finished Hibiki.

"Well that's good," said Lucy with a hint of relief.

"We're also glad to see that you're alive and well Jura," said Lyon. "You had us worried for a moment."

"I wouldn't say that," said Jura. "I barely managed to make it out alive."

"Are you hurt?" asked Lyon.

"Only a bit, but I'll live," said Jura. "Their power terrifies me though. I'm still reeling from the recent blows. However I must admit, if it wasn't for Ichiya and his Pain Killer Parfum, I wouldn't be standing here right now in utter agony."

The very man suddenly appeared on the scene battered and bruised, but still alive and well.

"Detestable Oración Seis! To think that instead of facing us you decided to flee in terror!" he said with slight anger but was quickly replaced with a triumphant laugh. "Therefore we win the battle by default due to your cowardly ways!"

"That's not how it works you wacko!" snapped Gray. "Not to mention that they beat you up too!"

"Look my boy, we may be battered but we're far from beaten," said Ichiya. "These injuries are nothing at all thanks to my Painkiller Parfum. Here. Take a whiff as it ease your discomfort."

He then uncorked a vial of one of his Parfums while posing which released a vapor that spread through all the Allied Forces. As they all took in the scent, it not only smelled wonderful but each one could feel the pain they were feeling slowly disappear.

"Wow... what a lovely scent," said Sherry with smile.

"And it's working," said Lucy. "The pain's just fading away. Although... I can do without the posing while he casts the spell."

"Way to go Chief!" cheered the Trimens.

"They called him something different again!" exclaimed Lucy.

"Just let it go," said Gray flatly. "I've practically given up complaining about it a long time ago. They're doing it just to annoy us."

"Never mind that!" growled Natsu. "Those guys took off with Wendy and Happy! Not to mention I got a bone to pick with that Shark guy! I'm gonna find those jerks and kick their butts!"

He immediately took off in search of The Oración Seis.

"Natsu! Where are you going?" called out Lucy. "Come back here!"

Natsu didn't listen, but then something grabbed him by the scarf causing him to fall flat on the ground. He looked up and he saw Carla above him now having wings a lot similar to Happy's with a firm hold on his scarf.

"You mustn't be reckless!" she said as she let go. "You must calm down and think this through!

Natsu as well as the rest of the Allied Forces were surprised.

"No way. She has wings," said Sherry. "Did she keep them hidden or something?"

"And she can fly too!" said Eve. "That's cool!"

"I take it none of you have seen Aera Magic before," said Carla. "Well I suppose It's only natural that you find it surprising."

"You're just trying to copy Happy aren't you?" frowned Natsu.

"As if you dimwit!" snapped Carla.

"Now, now. I'm sure that there's room enough for two flying cats," soothed Lucy.

"Speaking of the Tomcat, I am concerned about him and Wendy," said Carla. "Until we come up with a plan, we can't afford to just attack them blindly."

"I agree Lady Carla," said Jura. "After all the enemy is far stronger than we anticipated."

"But first there's an issue at hand we must deal with," said Carla as she looked toward a certain someone who was holding her arm in pain. It was Erza who was still reeling from the bite that Cubellios had given her before.

"Erza?! Are you okay?!" asked Natsu worriedly.

"Hang in there!" said Lucy.

Erza's only response was a gasp of pain as the bite mark on her arm was now a sickly purple color was spreading through her arm.

"I know what you need my honey," said Ichiya. "Some more Pain Killer Parfum! AROMA INCREASE!"

He pointed the vial at Erza and even more of his Pain Killer Parfum gushed out from the vial.

"Are you sure that's going to work?" asked Lucy with concern. "I mean pain killers aren't an antidote for snake venom."

"Not Ichiya's. His Parfum does a lot more than ease pain," said Hibiki. "It also has a cleansing effect that will help the body expel any toxins it has."

This however proved to be untrue for the purple color that was the poison in Erza's color continued to spread and as she let out a loud groan of pain.

"Erza! What's wrong?!" asked Gray. "Isn't it working?!"

"I think she's in even more pain than before!" said Natsu.

"This is bad," said Lucy. "I'm not a doctor, but even I can tell that the poison is still spreading."

"I don't understand!" said Eve. "Master Ichiya's Pain Killer Parfum has never failed before!"

"Now what'll we do?!" said Lucy with worry.

"Lucy..." groaned Erza. "I'm sorry... but I need to borrow this!"

Then Erza suddenly grabbed Lucy's belt and before she had a chance to stop her, she ripped the belt off causing Lucy's shorts to fall down revealing her panties causing the Trimens to gawk at Lucy loving what they were seeing.

"LOOK AWAY YOU PERVERTS!" shrieked Lucy as pulled up her shorts and kicked all three of them away simultaneously.

Erza then tied the belt tightly on her arm just above the venom.

"What are you gonna do Erza?!" asked Lucy. Then she realized. "Wait... you're not planning to-"

"Forgive me. I know this is harsh, but this is the only way I can keep fighting!" said Erza as she sat on the ground putting the armband from her right arm in her mouth. She then held out her arm throwing her sword to the ground. "Somebody cut it off!"

Everyone's eyes went wide from shock even Ichiya and Jura.

"Erza! Don't be stupid!" protested Gray indignantly. "At least give us time to find an antidote!"

"There is no time!" said Erza through the band. "Just do it!"

"Very well," said Lyon as she pulled up the sword. "I shall do it."

"Lyon! Put down the sword right now!" snapped Gray.

"You're not seriously gonna do it are you?!" asked Lucy more worried than she was before.

"We don't have a choice," said Lyon. "We can't afford to lose one of our strongest when we're facing a foe like the Oración Seis."

"Yeah but-" protested Lucy.

"How weak-minded can you Fairies get?!" interrupted Sherry. "Your friend's gonna die if we don't do something now! This is all a part of Lyon's love."

"Your friend's gonna die if he doesn't put down the sword!" Lucy shot back.

"Stop arguing!" said Erza gritting her teeth. "Just hurry up and cut off my arm before the poison spreads to the rest of my body!"

"No don't!" shouted Hibiki. "You can't do that to a woman's body like that! That's gonna get you known as the guy who maimed Erza!"

"There has to be another way!" said Eve as he tried to intervene as well, but then Jura blocked his way. "We'll find another cure!"

"This is Lady Erza's wishes," he said calmly. "We have no right to intervene with them."

"You ready? Then here it comes!" said Lyon.

He raised his sword above his head and then swung it down with all of his strength, but then at the last moment Gray stepped in between the blade and Erza and blocked it with his hand using his Ice Make magic.

Lyon scowled. "What's the matter with you? Is her arm more important to you than her life?! Where are your priorities!?" he demanded.

"This is scar her for the rest of her life!" Gray answered. "So we can't jump the gun just yet! There has to be another way to save her!"

Lyon's eyes narrowed. "That figures. You're just as spineless as ever."

"And you're just as shady and heartless as ever," Gray retorted.

At this point, the poison and the pain proved too much for Erza. She then fell to the ground on her back unconscious.

"No! Erza!" cried Lucy as she rushed to her side.

"This is bad!" said Eve. "If we don't do something soon, the poison will continue to spread until she dies!"

"But what can we do?!" asked Natsu.

Then Carla spoke up. "We need Wendy. She's the only one who could save your friend. This also isn't the time to be fighting among ourselves, so we have to come up with a plan to save Wendy... and I suppose the Tomcat too."

"Hold on... are you saying that little girl knows some kind of magic to cure poison?" asked Eve.

"Not only that, but she can also treat injuries, relieve pain, and even cure fevers too," added Carla.

"That's incredible," breathed Ren.

"Um... excuse me," said Ichiya who was a little pale. "I'm beginning to think that my role in this alliance being threatened and I don't like it one bit."

"But that's impossible," said Sherry skeptically. "Everyone knows that healing magic is a Lost Magic. How can a kid like her use such magic?"

"Does this have anything to do with her that Brain guy calling her 'Maiden of the Sky.' thing?" asked Lucy.

"Of course it does," said Carla. "That "kid" is known that way for one reason. She's a sky dragon slayer. Wendy the Sky Dragon."

Everyone gasped in surprise. Especially Natsu in particular.

"You're kidding!? Wendy's a dragon slayer too!?" he asked incredulously. "But how is that possible!?"

"I can explain the details later. However there's not really much more I can say or tell you," said Carla. "All you need to know is that Wendy is the only one who can help Erza right now. We're in dire need of her, but for some reason the Oración Seis have need of her as well for some unknown reason."

"Which means..." began Lyon.

"There's only one thing we can do," continued Hibiki.

"We have to rescue Wendy!" finished Eve.

"We'll do it for her and Erza's sake!" said Gray with determination.

"And for Happy's too!" added Lucy.

"Let's split into groups then," said Jura. "We'll be able to cover more ground that way and find them a lot quicker. If you encounter any members of the Oración Seis, take them down."

Everyone nodded in agreement and determination.

"All right then!" yelled Natsu as he punched his fist into the air. "ARE YOU WITH ME?!"

"YEAH!"

The Allied Forces got in a circle and punched their fists into the air as well. Then they split up into groups in search of the Oración Seis to defeat them and to rescue Wendy and Happy. They were beaten and down, but they were definitely far from out.

* * *

 _Another chapter down and out!_

 _Plus I just want to say thank you for all the reviews and all follows everyone!_

 _Keep that up!_

 _Dragoman out!_


	40. Chapter 40 The Maiden of the Sky

_Here's the next chapter Ladies and Gentlemen!_

 _Make sure to keep the follows and the reviews coming!_

 _But try to make an actual review._

 _Enjoy the read!_

* * *

Chapter 40

The Maiden of the Sky

Meanwhile the Oración Seis made their way back to the base that was hidden in an ancient village that had long since been forgotten in a cave by the waterfall. Wendy and Happy had found themselves thrown onto the cold hard floor with Brain standing over them with a dark grin on his face with the Oración Seis behind them.

"Hey! You don't need to be so rough! Especially with a girl like Wendy!" said Happy.

Brain looked at Happy and then grabbed a handful of Happy's face squeezing hard making Happy struggle in pain trying to break free.

"Let him go!" pleaded Wendy not wanting to see the blue cat suffer.

Surprisingly, Brain did what Wendy had requested by throwing Happy to the ground like he was a ragdoll.

"Happy are you okay?" asked Wendy worriedly. "You're not hurt too bad are you?"

Happy struggled to his feet as he put on a reassuring smile for Wendy. "Don't you worry little lady," he said. "For now, I'm gonna do my best to find a way to get us out of here."

"Thank you Happy," said Wendy as she wrapped her arms around Happy hugging him for comfort.

"OK. What's the deal taking this girl Brain?" asked Razor. "Is there something special about her?"

"Maybe she's connected with Nirvana or something," suggested Cobra.

"I doubt it. I don't really see anything that special about her," said Angel.

"I know! She must be worth some money!" said Hoteye palm-fist tapping. "You're planning to sell her to the highest bidder right? Oh yeah!"

Cobra looked at Hoteye completely baffled and put off with what Hoteye just said. "First of all Hoteye, I can't even begin to tell you how messed up that is even for you. Secondly you do realize that money isn't the answer to everything right?"

"Come now Cobra. You should know by now that money is all that you need!" said Hoteye. "It has the power to buy everything! Even love! Oh yeah!"

"Oh give me a break," said Cobra rolling his eyes.

Brain then explained. "The reason this girl is here is because she uses what is called 'Sky Magic' which gives her the ability to heal others using healing magic."

The rest of the members with the exception of Midnight and Shark eyes widened with surprise.

"Healing magic?! How is that even possible?" asked Racer.

"Isn't that a type lost magic?" asked Angel.

"Yes. A lost magic that has long sense been forgotten long ago," said Cobra. He then turned to Brain. "But what good is a healer to us?" Suddenly Cobra then put two and two together and immediately knew what Brain had in mind for Wendy. "Wait... you don't mean...!"

Brain then smiled wider than before as he threw out his arms in elation. "That's right Cobra. She is the key. With her powers and abilities, we shall revive him!"

"Who are you guys talking about?" demanded Happy. "Him who?"

"I don't really know what's going on," said Wendy trying to be brave. "But if you're asking me to help you then you can forget it! I'd never do anything for bad guys like you people!"

"Oh yes you will," said Brain giving Wendy a sideways glance. "Once you find out who it is, there's no doubt that you'll be willing to help him." He then turned to Racer. "Racer. I want you bring him here at once."

"You got it boss," said Racer. "But it'll probably take me and hour to get it from there and back again even with my speed."

"That's fine," said Brain as Racer disappeared.

"So that's what you're up to," said Cobra a smile working it's way to his lips. "Once he's revived, we'll be able to find Nirvana in no time at all. Guess you're not called Brain for nothing."

"Cobra, Angel, and Hoteye," said Brain. "Until then I want you three to continue the search for Nirvana."

"But it's a waste of time. Why even bother?" complained Angel. "It would make more sense to continue the search once he's revived."

"I'd rather not take any chances," said Brain. "Midnight, Shark, and I will remain here."

"Something tells me that those two won't make very good company," said Hoteye as he looked at Midnight still fast asleep and Shark standing aside quietly.

"Well then, we better get going," said Cobra. "Man... this is gonna be boring."

"Then how about we make this into a race?" asked Angel. "Whoever finds Nirvana first will win a prize-"

"In the amount of one million jewel!" interrupted Hoteye excitedly. "Oh yeah! Count me in!"

"Don't you think that's a bit much?" deadpanned Angel as she along Hoteye and Cobra left the caves in search of Nirvana.

Happy turned to Wendy feeling a bit puzzled. "Hey Wendy. Do you have any idea who these guys are talking about?" he asked.

"I don't know myself," said Wendy. Then he looked at Brain. "For that matter, what exactly does Nirvana do? You can at least tell us that much."

Brain smiled. "It's a very powerful magic that has the power to switch light with darkness."

"Switch light with darkness?" puzzled Wendy. "I don't understand..."

"Me either," said Happy. "But I can tell that that's not a good thing."

* * *

Deep inside the Worth Woodsea, the Allied Forces had split into several different groups to search for the Oración Seis. Natsu, Gray, and Carla made one group, another comprised of all the Lamia Scale wizards; Jura, Lyon, and Sherry, Ichiya, Eve, and Ren made the third, and Lucy and Hibiki chose to stay behind to watch over Erza. She was still unconscious from the pain and and the poison was continuing to spread on her arm traveling upwards to her body.

"It looks like it's getting worse," said Lucy as she held Erza's hand. "Come on you guys... please hurry."

"You know that won't do any good right?" said Hibiki. "Being impatient is only going to stress you out more Lucy. Instead of worrying, why don't we give them a hand?"

"How can we do that?" asked Lucy turning to Hibiki.

Hibiki then held out his hand and the activated his Archive magic. A large screen-like display with a large keyboard appeared before him. He started typing on the keyboard and various displayed and maps appeared on it.

"Some of us are on the move while we're staying behind," said Hibiki. "Our coalition may have just been thrown together so I may not consider ourselves a team, but we need to think like a team if we're gonna stand a chance against the Oración Seis."

Lucy watched as Hibiki went to work using his Archive magic feeling a little curious. "Archive. That's the name of the magic you use right Hibiki?"

"That's right," said Hibiki as he continued to type. "It's a magic that really comes in handy whenever you want to keep tabs of people. By the way Lucy, how come you didn't go with the others?"

"Well I couldn't just leave Erza alone," said Lucy smiling sadly. "Besides I'm not all that strong like Natsu and the others. In fact I'm practically the weakest fighter in the guild and in this group. I'd just get in the way."

"Come on. Don't sound so modest," said Hibiki. "I've heard some rumors about your strength that say otherwise. I've heard about how you took on nineteen vulcans that were ten feet tall and beat them all up. Then in the battle between Fairy Tail and Phantom you knocked out Phantom's Master Jose with your bare hands. And also in Acalypha, you single-handedly took out a dark guild that had over a thousand men!"

"OK. I can't even begin to tell you how much those stories were exaggerated," said Lucy flatly. "Anyway, I should be asking you the same question. I would've thought that you'd have gone with Ren, Eve, and Ichiya."

Hibiki turned to Lucy and smiled. "Isn't it obvious? A man like myself can't leave two pretty girls all alone."

Lucy couldn't help but smile. "That's so sweet. You're a lot more nicer than Sorcerer Weekly made you out to be."

"Good to know," said Hibiki as he typed on his keyboard more quickly than before. "Anyway thanks to my Archive magic, I'll be able to keep track of everyone who went to look for Wendy and make sure they know about our current position. Once they found Happy and Wendy, they'll be able to find us and save Erza too."

"Wow. You've got everything covered huh? I'm impressed," said Lucy.

"It's no big deal. Just doing what I was taught thanks to Ichiya," said Hibiki.

He looked back up on the display and three small windows opened up each showing three bunches red dots that came in threes moving through a different part of the map.

"I've found all of our groups," he said. "Now all we have to do is wait until one of them finds Wendy and Happy."

* * *

In the first group, Natsu, Gray, and Carla were searching through the forest trying to find any sign of their friends and the Oración Seis. As they ran through the forest with Carla using her wings to keep up, Natsu was still feeling a little curious as to what Carla had said about Wendy being a dragon slayer like him. He wanted to know more about her.

"Hey. Carla right? You said that Wendy's the Sky Dragon Slayer right? What does she eat for power then?" asked Natsu. "And does it taste any good?"

"Air of course," replied Carla. "And I honestly have no idea."

"I don't know how's that any different from breathing," murmured Gray.

"By the way you should know that Wendy wanted to join this mission was because she wanted the chance to meet you," Carla said to Natsu.

"How come?" puzzled Natsu.

"I thought it would be obvious," said Carla. "It's because you're a fellow dragon slayer. She wanted to ask you something regarding the dragon that raised her. Apparently it disappeared over seven years ago and she was hoping if you knew anything about where her dragon was. I believe she called it Grandeeney."

Natsu hummed as he tried to think of anything familiar about that name. Unfortunately he could think of nothing. Then he came up with an idea.

"Hey! What about Laxus? Maybe he knows," he said.

"I doubt Laxus would know," said Gray. "Besides he's not even a real dragon slayer. Gramps said it himself."

Suddenly Carla noticed something that made her eyes widen in shock. "What is this?!" she cried.

Then Natsu and Gray stopped running and they couldn't believe what they saw too. Before them was a part of the forest that was covered in a thick black mist causing the trees and everything inside it to turn into black as well.

"The trees... what the heck is going on?" wondered Gray.

"Talk about creepy," said Natsu with a hint of worry who was also unnerved at the sight.

Then a pair of voices was heard.

"Word on the street is that all of this was caused by Nirvana right Big Bro Zatô?"

"That's right. It's a power so great that not even the planet can take it. Everything it touches withers up and dies."

"Yeah. Cuz word on the street is that all of this was caused by Nirvana."

"There you go repeating yourself again. Seriously you gotta stop doing that Big Bro Gatô."

"Oops. Sorry Big Bro Zatô. I didn't even notice."

The three to turn around to find themselves standing in front of the two leaders of the Naked Mummy Guild Gatô and Zatô and they weren't alone either. The entire Naked Mummy guild was there with them and they had the three completely surrounded. Carla was worried by the overwhelming numbers, but Natsu and Gray weren't worried in the slightest. If anything, Natsu was excited especially upon seeing Gatô and Zatô.

"Oh wow! I don't believe it! Those two are monkeys!" Natsu said grinning as he started acting like a monkey himself. "The dumbest monkeys I've ever seen!"

Then one of the members pointed an accusing finger at the two seething in anger.

"Hey! You guys are members of Fairy Tail! Your friends with that blonde girl! It's your friend's fault that I got in trouble!" he shrieked.

"Ooh! Now that one's a really angry monkey!" said Natsu.

Then Gatô recognized Natsu and Gray too. "Oh yeah. I remember them too. They're friends with that blonde girl who ruined our plans in Acalypha."

"Oh yeah?" said Zatô. "Well I'd say it's time we give these punks a little payback. Courtesy of Naked Mummy."

"Naked Mummy? What the heck is that?" wondered Natsu.

"Come on Natsu. Don't be stupid," said Gray. "They're the dark guild that Lucy told us about the other day."

For those who don't know what they're talking about, a while before this the Naked Mummy guild made an attempt to rob a bank in Acalypha to pay the Oración Seis their protection money. However due to a misunderstanding with her father and some circumstances, Lucy came to Acalypha and managed to stop them in their tracks.

"This is bad," said Carla worriedly. "This was all a trap! The Oración Seis tricked us into thinking that we'd be facing only the six of them."

"Well I say the more the merrier," Gray smirked his hand flaring with icy magic power.

"Works for me! Bring on the monkeys!" said Natsu gleefully.

Carla looked at the two completely shocked. "What in the world are you two saying?! We should run while we have a chance! They're too many of them!"

"No way we're running," said Gray. "Besides they were so kind enough to come to us, if we ran away that would be rude. Not only that, but once we beat them, they're gonna tell us where their base is. Till then we ain't leaving."

"Hang in there Happy and Wendy," said Natsu as his fist ignited with fire swinging it like a windmill. "Once we beat these jerks, we're gonna come straight to ya!"

"Don't underestimate us! You're messing with The Naked Mummy, a dark guild working under the Oración Seis!" said Gatô.

"You think that a little fire's gonna scare us?" said Zatô smirking. "You must have a death wish."

"Yeah! Don't underestimate us! You're messing with The Naked Mummy guild, a dark guild working under the Oración Seis!" said Gatô.

"You just said that already you dummy!" snapped Natsu.

"That aside, this is the end of the line for you Fairies!" said Zatô as he and his men got ready to fight.

"Here's an idea bro," said Gatô. "What do you say we show these punks just how terrifying Naked Mummy can be?"

"That sounds like a great idea," said Zatô. "We'll make quick work of them so bad, they won't even know what hit em."

"Yeah. Let's make sure these punks know just how terrifying Naked Mummy can be," repeated Gatô.

"You just said that Bro, but I agree with you," said Zatô.

"Oh. Sorry about that Bro," said Gatô. "But if we really wanna show just how-"

"Get em boys!" interrupted Zatô. "Teach those two a lesson!"

At the sound of his call, all of the Naked Mummy members came charging straight for Natsu and Gray. From a glance it seemed that the Naked Mummy guild would have the advantage when it came to numbers, but Natsu and Gray weren't intimidated. They both got ready to fight eager to beat every last of the members. All Carla could do was watch with worry.

"I'm starting to think that these Fairy Tail wizards are completely insane!" she said. "Do they intend to defeat everyone of these guild members by themselves?!"

She would soon have her question answered as Natsu and Gray sprang into action. Natsu igniting his fist on fire let out a fierce cry and he slammed his fist into the ground making a huge shockwave which took a out wave of Naked Mummy members. Another Naked Mummy member attempted to shoot Natsu using his magic shotgun, but Gray grabbed the member by the face freezing it and then threw him to the ground unleashing a wave of ice taking out another wave of guild members. The two continued to wreck house Natsu using his flames and Gray using his ice. Zatô and Gatô watched the two looking impressed but at the same time frightened by what they were seeing.

"Whoa... those guys look pretty tough eh Big Bro Zatô?" asked Gatô.

"Yeah, don't worry. Once they have a taste of our power, they'll be taken out like nothing," replied Zatô.

"Yeah. But these guys are a lot tougher than they-" began Gatô but then Natsu and Gray suddenly appeared in front of them and the two each gave a powerful punch to the brothers knocking them to the ground before they had a chance to react.

"Will you two shut up already?!" they yelled.

Then the man who was complaining about the two before seeing his bosses get taken out snarled at them.

"You bastards! How dare you take out Zatô and Gatô!" he shrieked as he whipped out a magic shotgun. "I'll make you pay for that! Taste my Magic Shotgun!"

He took aim and fired right at Natsu hitting him squarely on the back. The man smirked victoriously for scoring at hit, but his smirk quickly changed into shock for Natsu was completely unaffected by the attack. It fact it didn't even scratch him. Natsu looked back towards the man and gave him a dark smirk causing the man to step back in fear. Then Natsu gave the man a powerful flame coated punch right into his jaw sending him flying up and away in the wild blue yonder beyond.

Soon after every one of the members of Naked Mummy were taken out leaving Natsu and Gray standing victorious. Carla stood there completely dumbfounded not believing what she just saw.

"Whew. Man those guys were tougher than I thought," said Natsu wiping his brow. "They sure put up a fight."

"No kidding," said Gray. "You'd think that it'd be easier."

"Of course it would be difficult! What kind of idiot thinks that taking on an entire guild would be a walk in the park?!" snapped Carla incredulously. "You both were outnumbered a hundred and fifty to two at least! Just how reckless can you two get!?"

Natsu then walked up to Zatô and then grabbed him by the collar lifting him up. "All right laughing monkey! Tell me where your hideout is!"

Zatô laughed mockingly. "I ain't telling you squat!" he said.

Natsu growled in anger and than gave Zatô a wicked headbutt to his forehead knocking him out completely.

"I stand corrected," said Carla. "They're both are very reckless..."

Natsu then moved on to Gatô and was just about to interrogate him for answers when Gatô spoke. "Hey! They're all yours buddy!" he said as he fell unconscious as well.

"Buddy? What does he mean by that?" wondered Gray.

"Well, well, well," said a voice from above. "I see you pesky little flies are still buzzing around. It makes sense that I would be the one to be sent to swat you guys down once and for all. Especially since I owe you from our last encounter you cinder faced brat."

Gray and Natsu looked in the tree to see a familiar foe that they fought in the past. He was lean and tall, wearing an outfit comprised of a pair of silver pants, black boots, a blue shirt, and a black coat with yellow trims. He had pale skin with spiky silver hair with some of it hanging on the left side of his face and he had black rights around his eyes with tattoos in a line pointing downwards.

"It's you again!" gasped Gray. "You're the guy who was a part of the Eisenwald guild that planned to take out Gramps and the others with the Lullaby flute! Erigor!"

"Oh yeah! I remember him," said Natsu. "However I roasted the wind-bagged jerk good!"

"That's right," said Erigor. "Ever since the Eisenwald guild fell, I became a bodyguard under the Oración Seis in the hopes that one day I would one day have my revenge! The day the Erigor the Grim Reaper would rise once again!"

"So basically you're here for a rematch?" asked Gray. "Sounds like fun."

"Yeah! I'm all fired up now!" said Natsu cracking his knuckles. "Hey Gray! I got this one! Just leave him to me!"

"All right then," said Gray. "Just make it quick. We got places to go you know."

"You've got to be kidding me... He's going to fight again!?" sighed Carla. "Now you've gone completely past the realm of reckless."

"If you think that you'll be able to defeat me this time around, think again little fly!" said Erigor as he took off flying into the air.

Natsu then went on the attack taking a big jump and igniting his fist with fire once more.

"FIRE DRAGON IRON FIST!"

Erigor flicked his hand and the used his magic to make a barrier of wind to protect himself from Natsu's attack. Fire and wind flew from their collision as Carla and Gray looked on.

"Are you sure this is wise?" asked Carla. "After all fire user like your isn't exactly effective against a wind user like that fellow."

"You would think so, but worry," said Gray. "And Natsu has had a difficult time against this guy before but he's gotten a lot stronger since then. He's got this."

Sure enough, Natsu was able to break through Erigor's wind barrier making Erigor's eyes widen in shock.

"FIRE DRAGON TALON!"

Igniting his foot on fire, Natsu landed a hit with a powerful kick sending Erigor back.

"I see you're even stronger than you ever been before," said Erigor gritting his teeth as Natsu landed on the ground. "Way to step up your game."

"Thanks for the compliment," said Natsu. "But I don't have the time to play with you right now Erigor. I gotta beat you up real quick so I can save Happy and Wendy."

"Quit acting so tough you big-mouthed brat!" snapped Erigor as he cast one of his spells putting his index fingers into a x in front of him. "I'll tear you to shreds with this! EMERA BARAM!"

Then Erigor unleashed a concentrated blast of wind towards Natsu. The blast was so destructive and so powerful that the landscape had changed completely. Dust and pebbles flew everywhere. Erigor dipped down towards the ground hovering from above with a big grin on his face.

"How was that you pest?!" he sneered. "You're not the only one who's gotten stronger. In fact I've been training non stop ever since you defeated me. Increasing the destructive powers of my magic as well as my strength so I could take you down for good."

Erigor seemed to be victorious, but then a large flame coming from Natsu shone brightly out of the dust causing Erigor's eyes to widen in shock.

"That was pathetic," said Natsu as he straightened up. "All you talk about is revenge this and revenge that. Seriously dude. How petty can you get? If this is about what happened before, get over it. But I guess I should be flattered though."

"Petty? With what? This isn't about Eisenwald or the Oración Seis. It's about me!" snarled Erigor. "I won't be satisfied until I take you down!"

"I'd like to see you try!" Natsu shot back as his magic power flared into life. "Bring it on! I'll blow you away!"

"MAGIC WIND PALM!" cried Erigor as he used another wind spell.

His hands were cloaked with spiraling currents of wind and then he clapped them together unleashing as devastating torrent of wind at Natsu. The attack hit it's target square on, but Natsu still came at Erigor unfazed by the attack.

"FLAME LOTUS FIRE DRAGON IRON FIST!"

Then before Erigor had a chance to counter, Natsu unleashed a devastating and fast barrage of flame coated fists punching Erigor repeatedly. He punched and punched until he finished with one more powerful blow. As the two fell to the ground, Nastu landed on his feet victorious while Erigor fell flat on the ground defeated. Carla jaw dropped with shock while Gray had an annoyed expression on his face.

"Incredible..." Carla thought. "I never imagined Salamander was this powerful. I guess I underestimated him."

"Geez. Took you long enough pyro freak," he said. "Why'd you have to drag out the fight? Need I remind you that we're on borrowed time?"

Natsu then grabbed Erigor and started repeatedly pounding his head to the ground trying to interrogate him.

"All right you stupid blowhard! Stop your napping and tell me where your creepy friends took Wendy and Happy!" he snapped.

"Oh brother..." said Gray pinching his nose. "This might take a while."

* * *

Meanwhile in another part of the forest, the Blue Pegasus group were searching as well. However they would soon encounter problems of their own. As they searched the forest, Eve suddenly realized something. A certain member of their group was missing.

"Hey Ren! Where's Ichiya?" he asked. "I haven't heard a single man in a while!"

The two then stopped and looked behind them. Sure enough, Ichiya was nowhere to be seen.

"Where did he go?" wondered Ren. "I could've sworn that he was right next to us."

"I guess we must have lost him," said Eve. "What should we do Ren? Should we go look for him or keep searching for the Oración Seis?"

Before Ren could respond, there was a rustling in the bushes. Then suddenly Ren and Eve immediately found themselves surround by a mob of wizards. Every single one of them were wearing school uniforms what were checkered red with black lines and blue button down shirts. However the strangest thing about them was that every single one of their hair styles had a strange appendage that pointed upwards like it was some kind of horn.

"What the heck?! Who are these guys!?" exclaimed Eve.

"Judging by their hair and outfits," said Ren. "I'd say these guys are the dark guild Black Unicorn!"

"But what's a dark guild doing here?!" Eve asked in shock. "Are they trying to get in our way or something?"

"What's wrong you silky haired losers?" jeered a male wizard. "You two gonna cry?"

"Yeah you dumb pretty boys," said a female wizard. "We work for the Oración Seis and we have our orders to take you down."

"Yeah! It's game over for you sissies!" said another male wizard. "We of the Black Unicorn guild are gonna take you both down!"

"Looks like we're in for a fight," said Ren. "You ready Eve?"

"Oh yeah. Let's show these creeps what we're made of," said Eve. "We'll show them what two members of the Trimens can really do."

"And since these guys are with Oración Seis, after we beat we can ask them where their base is," said Ren. "So make sure you beat em to a pulp."

"Will do," said Eve.

Ren smiled as did Eve and then the two of them got ready to fight as the Black Unicorn guild came charging straight for them. Ren and Eve then separated and went on the attack. Ren made the first move by using one of his spells.

"AIR MAGIC: AERIAL!"

Using his magic which specializes in air trapped a bunch of the Black Unicorn members inside it. The members felt the pair escape their lungs and their ears ring in pain due the pressure inside of it. Then one by one they all fell unconscious inside the dome.

"It's no use," said Ren. "I reduced the oxygen all around you inside that dome. You won't even be able to stand up right now."

As for Eve as he was surrounded by the other members of the Black Unicorn Guild, he stood there calmly waiting for anyone to make a move.

"What's your deal?" asked a member. "You just gonna stand there and look cute?"

"We'll your cute face so bad, you'll look ugly!" said a female.

The member immediately attacked Eve from all sides, but Eve remained calm and composed.

"I'd be careful what I'd say," said Eve flashing a venomous smile. "Because I can make things really ugly if you underestimate me. SNOW MAGIC: TOTAL WHITEOUT!"

Eve then unleashed his magic by enveloping the area in a large snowstorm. The Black Unicorn members were blinded and hit by the raging snow until the snow died down. Eve was the only one that remained standing while the Black Unicorn members were buried deep in snow frozen and defeated.

"And that takes care of that," said Eve. "Wasn't even a challenge."

"Well then," said Ren as he grabbed the shirt of one of the Black Unicorn members. "Tell us where the Oración Seis is hiding! We know you're working for them, so tell us where they are or I'll use my magic to suffocate you."

The member he was holding weakly replied before passing out.

"They're... in... a deserted village in the West... that... belonged... to the ancients..."

"What the heck does that mean?" wondered Eve.

"Who knows," said Ren. "But at least we have a direction of where their base is. Let's start heading West."

"Right," said Eve as he and Ren resumed their search heading to the West.

* * *

In another part of the forest, the group comprised of Lamia Scale's members had also encountered a dark guild working under the Oración Seis. The members were all wearing red hoods and they were all carrying sketchpads.

"Damn it all," said Lyon. "I didn't realize they were following us until now. Who the hell are these guys?"

"I know these people," said Jura. "They're from a dark guild called Red Hood."

"Fear not Lyon my love," said Sherry. "They may have ambushed us, but they don't know who they're messing with!"

"Lookie what we have here!" said a Red Hood member. "It's the Wizard Saint Jura!"

"If we manage to defeat him here, we'll be famous!" said another.

"Is that what you think?" asked Jura. "Then come at us if you wish to be defeated that badly."

"Cocky old man! We'll show you just how terrifying the Red Hood guild really is!" said a member.

The Red Hood members than took their notebooks and began drawing at a quick pace. Jura and Lyon stayed on guard while Sherry scoffed cockily.

"And how is drawing a picture terrifying?" she asked.

"Be careful," warned Jura. "I know this type of magic. A magic called Picto Magic."

Then all of the Red Hood members cast their spell. "UNISON PICTO!"

In a puff of smoke the drawings suddenly came to life and the three Lamia Scale members found themselves surrounded by strange creatures. They were pink with maroon spots, squirrel-like, and had green leaves on their chests. Some of these creatures were even holding axes for weapons.

"What the heck are these things?! exclaimed Lyon. "Goblins?!"

"Aww. How adorable," said Sherry. "They look so cute!"

"Don't let your guard down!" said Jura. "These things are vicious!"

The creatures then jumped towards them curling into balls and then pelting the three repeatedly. The attacks didn't hurt them much, but they were too many of them to repel. Lyon then went on the attack unleashing a wave of cold air to repel the creatures.

"Sherry! Attack them now!" he shouted. "Attack them and knock them away!"

"WOOD DOLL!"

Sherry responded by using her Marionette magic on a tree making it come to life. The tree doll swiped it's hands knocking away more of the creatures. Soon all of them were on the ground defeated and crying.

"Aww... the poor little things," said Sherry feeling sorry for them.

"I said don't let your guard down," chided Jura.

"That's right! You should listen to the man!" said a Red Hood member. "Because while you were playing with those goblins, we managed to have time to draw this!"

"UNISON PICTO!"

Once again the Red Hood members used their Picto magic. However this time they managed a larger and menacing creature than before. The creature was tall, reptilian, green, had a white underbelly, had claws and wings on it's arms and had orange spikes on it's back. Lyon immediately knew what this creature was.

"That's a wyvern!" he exclaimed.

"Definitely not cute!" yelped Sherry.

"They're magic is strong indeed!" said Jura. "And they're remarkably skilled artists as well!"

"Now go wyvern!" said the first Red Hood member. "Do your worst and stomp those do-gooders flat!"

The wyvern then stomped after Jura and the others as the three ran trying to get away.

"What'll we do now Jura!?" asked Lyon and Sherry as the run.

"We attack!" said Jura as he stopped and turned around. "IRON ROCK SPIKES!"

He then used one of his spells to make several spikes made of rock erupt from the ground immobilizing the wyvern.

"Lyon Sherry! Attack!" he shouted.

Lyon and Sherry both jumped into the fray using their spells at the same time.

"ICE MAKE SNOW TIGER!" shouted Lyon as he created a tiger made entirely out of ice swiping it's mighty paw at the wyvern's snout.

"MARIONETTE ATTACK! ROCK DOLL!" cried Sherry as she used her spell to make a golem out from the rock on the ground making it punch the wyvern into the air.

The wyvern at first was shaken by the overwhelming attacks from the two, but it regained it's composure by flapping it's wings and then swooped down towards the three with it's talons bared. However Jura was ready and waiting for him. As soon as the best was close enough, he unleashed another powerful spell.

"PRAYING HANDS! IRON ROCK POWDER EXPLOSION!"

Spikes of rock then shot up from the ground all of them piercing the wyvern at once. The wyvern roared in agony as it disappeared in a puff of smoke. The goblins had also disappeared too. The Red Hood members confidence had now faded and were now trembling in fear.

"But...how?! How did they beat the wyvern?!" exclaimed the first.

"Maybe we should have drawn something scarier!" said another nervously.

Jura then gave them a hardened glare. "You may think the things you draw are just imitations," he said. "But they're still living creatures and I cannot approve of you all using them carelessly to do your dirty work! Prepare yourselves!"

The Red Hood members could only scream in horror as Jura unleashed one final attack that shook the area. Dust flew everywhere. Afterwards Lyon had just interrogated one of the Red Hood members and he received the same answer Ren and Eve had received.

"What? An ancient village to the West? What does that even mean?" asked Lyon.

"Talk about irony," said Sherry. "They were sent here by the Oración Seis to defeat us, but they ended up telling us where their base was."

Then Jura turned his head towards a direction in the distance. He sensed something coming this way and it had a large magic power.

"Lyon. I want you and Sherry to head West," he said.

"What about you Jura?" asked Lyon.

"I'm sensing a tremendous magical power coming this way," said Jura.

"You think it could be one of the Oración Seis?" wondered Sherry."If it is, then maybe we should stay here and help you."

"No Sherry. You and Lyon do as I say and head West," said Jura. "I will remain here and engage the enemy. Remember we don't have time to waste. Now get going."

Lyon and Sherry were still reluctant to leave Jura alone, but they did what he said and left heading West leaving Jura by himself waiting for the enemy to arrive. It was very quiet with nothing but the wind blowing through the leaves in the trees and the bushes. Then Jura turned around behind him.

"Did you really think that you could sneak up on me?" he demanded. "Show yourself!"

"How foolish I must be for trying to outfox you," said a voice. "I'd expect nothing less from a Wizard Saint. Oh yeah!"

Suddenly the ground below Jura began to melt and give way and threatened to wash over him, but then Jura used his Earth Magic to harden the rock around him, turning it the into several pillars and then fired them at the perpetrator. The pillars seemed to have hit his target, but then the pillars melted away revealing Jura's attacker which turned out to be exactly what Jura predicted. One of the Oración Seis members, Hoteye.

"How surprising," said Hoteye smirking. "We both use Earth Magic and yet they're both so different. My softens and melts the ground while yours hardens it. However I wonder which is stronger? Oh yeah!"

"Magical ability is irrelevant!" said Jura firmly as he prepared himself to fight. "It is the stronger ideology that triumphs!"

Hoteye only smiled broader. "I am afraid you're wrong Wizard Saint Jura. No matter what the era, the ones that really triumph... are the rich! Oh yeah!"

* * *

Back in the caves, Brain along with Midnight and Shark were stilling waiting for Racer to return with Wendy and Happy watching nervously to see what would happen. Finally with a loud thunk, Racer had returned carrying the large coffin from before. Brain smiled with glee while Wendy and Happy's eyes widened upon seeing the large coffin. It was big, shaped like a T, and was wrapped in chains.

"Sorry it took me so long getting here," said Racer. "The thing was so heavy that I had some trouble building up speed. After going through that ordeal I'm starting to doubt if I'm really the fastest."

"Nonsense," said Brain. "Rest assured Racer that there's no one else in the world who can compete with your speed." He turned to Wendy. "Now then Wendy... you will now use your powers to heal the man inside this coffin."

"N-no way!" said Wendy trying to sound defiant. "I already told you I'm not going to help you and you can't make me!"

"Yeah! You heard the lady!" added Happy. "She told you she doesn't want to so there!"

"And I told you that she will," said Brain. "She don't have a choice in the matter!"

The coffin's chains were undone unwrapping around the coffin and disappearing. Then the front of the coffin slowly began to melt away eventually revealing a young man inside of it held up by more chains. He had blue hair, had patches of what appeared to be Ethernano all over his body, and had a red tattoo under his right eye. The moment Happy and Wendy saw this man, Wendy was in a state of shock while Happy's face turned into one of horror.

"No... It can't be... why is he here?! It can't be him!" he murmured shakily.

"Oh but is," said Brain. "Allow me to introduce you to Jellal. He's the man who had brilliantly infiltrated The Magic Council but fell victim to overexposure to Ethernano from the Etherion Blast and ended up in a catatonic state."

"You mean he's still alive?!" cried Happy.

"Correct," said Brain. "He may be unconscious, but he's still very much alive. Not only that, but he also knows the location of Nirvana. Once he is revived, he will lead us directly to it and you are the only one capable of reviving him dear Wendy. After all it's the least you can do after all he's done for you."

"Wait a minute...!" said Happy. "What are you talking about?!"

"No way... it's really him..." murmured Wendy her eyes not leaving the man in the coffin. "It's Jellal..."

"Wait a second... You know him!?" asked Happy incredulously looking at Wendy.

"Yes," nodded Wendy. "But... I'm surprised that you know him as well Happy."

"It's not like we're friends," said Happy glaring at Jellal's lifeless body. "He tried to kill me, Erza, and other people all for activating the Tower of Heaven. And as this jerk just said, he even got the council to fire the etherion blast."

"I know... I heard all about that..." said Wendy who now sounded slightly pained from hearing what Happy had said.

"But I still can't believe it. Is he really still alive?" demanded Happy.

"Yes, however he's more like a ghost possessed by another ghost," said Brain. "A man filled with pitiful ideals. However... to you Wendy he's more like a benefactor giving you the greatest gift you've ever received."

"A gift? What does he mean by that?" asked Happy turning to Wendy.

Wendy said nothing clenching her hands at her sides looking like she was about to cry not sure of what to do.

"This is your opportunity to repay the favor," said Brain. "Revive him. Now."

"No don't do it!" implored Happy. "You can't revive him no matter what this guy says!"

Wendy still didn't respond unsure of what to do. Then Brain unsheathed a dagger from his hip and pointed it dangerously at Jellal. "So you're refusing? Then this man dies." He raised the dagger and brought down threatening to stab Jellal.

"NO DON'T!" cried Wendy.

At the last second, Brain narrowly missed Jellal's cheek stabbing the blade into the wall of the coffin. Wendy sank to her knees in relief but at the same time she was still grief and worried stricken as to what to do. Then Brain raised his hand and blasted part of the floor next to Wendy purposely missing her as a warning shot.

"Revive him now," he said in a somewhat threatening tone. "It should be a simple task for you."

"No Wendy don't!" insisted Happy. "They're planning to use him to find Nirvana anyway so what's the point? You can't do it!"

Wendy eyes now began dripping with tears as she clenched her hands. "But I... I have to repay him... if it wasn't for him... I wouldn't even be here..." she wept. "He... was so kind... I heard about the rumors about him doing horrible things but... I can't believe it... I won't..."

"But Wendy they're all true," said Happy. "I swear they are. I was there and I saw it-"

"Jellal's not the kind of person who would do those things!" snapped Wendy suddenly raising her voice.

"But... he did Wendy..." said Happy quietly not expecting Wendy to raise her voice and now feeling sorry for the girl.

Wendy then looked back up at Jellal and then back to Brain. "Please... give me some time to think about it..." she pleaded her eyes stained with tears.

Brain smiled satisfied that he was getting through to her. "Very well," he said. "You have five minutes."

As Wendy continued to stare at Jellal trying to decide what to do, all Happy could do is watch completely powerless.

"Nastu... I sure hope you're on your way here..." he thought. "We sure could use your help right now. Please... hurry!"

* * *

 _If you liked what you read, feel free to leave me a review._

 _For those of you who are going through a little Shark syndrome, don't worry! There will be more of him soon enough!_

 _Until then..._

 _Dragoman out!_


	41. Chapter 41 A Fast-paced Rescue!

_Here's the next chapter everyone!_

 _Enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter 41

A Fast-paced Rescue!

In another part of the forest, a certain man was looking for his teammates Ren and Eve. However he found himself completely lost not even sure of where he was. Not only that, but a dark guild was stalking him preparing to attack.

"Ren! Eve!" he called. "Where are you man?!"

Then suddenly the dark sprang up from the shadows all surrounding him. Ichiya who was now frightened by the overwhelming numbers found himself trapped against a rock as they closed in.

"We got you now weird old man!" said a member cracking his knuckles

"Wait! Hold a minute!" he said. "I'm just a simple traveler who got separated from my party, not doing anything weird at all!"

"Yeah right!" said another member. "What kind of traveler looks like you? Besides we now that you're from those "Allied Forces" people, so there's no point in trying to lie!"

"Very well then!" said Ichiya taking his signature pose sparkling in confidence. "If you really wish to fight me... then please make sure not to make a mess of my handsome face..."

 _A few moments later..._

"I have decided to show you all some mercy. You should count yourselves lucky to have your lives and limbs intact," said Ichiya as he was now tied up on a pole being carried by two of the dark guild members. "You could at least return the favor!"

"Oh put a sock in it old man," said one of the men carrying him. "You're giving me a headache!"

"I will have you know that I'm at least under thirty you know!" snapped Ichiya.

"He said shut up!" snapped back the other man carrying him.

"All right then! Let's go! Man on man!" said Ichiya trying to sound brave. "I'll get serious too in a win or take all brawl and I won't hold back! What's wrong? You're all scared? I will admit I underestimated you men and held back, but that's only because I can only fight to my fullest when there are beautiful ladies watching. Like they say, a clever falcon hides it's talons-"

"Shut up you pig!" yelled the men as they continued to walk.

"Geez. Do we really have carry this guy all the way back?" asked one.

"Yeah. I say we finish this guy right here and now," said another. "He's getting on my nerves."

Ichiya paled. "Wait a minute! I'm sure whoever is leading your group would probably prefer to have me in one piece!" he said.

"As much I hate to say it, but this old geezer is right," said the man in front carrying Ichiya. "Lady Angel told us that she forgot to get some information of out this guy so she wants him alive."

"Oh yeah. With that copying magic she uses," said another sighing. "Oh great. So until then, we're pretty much stuck with this pig."

Ichiya could only let out a 'man' of despair as the group continued on taking him with them.

* * *

Meanwhile Natsu and Gray who had finally managed to get the location of the Oración Seis from Erigor, had finally arrived to the abandoned village at the bottom of a plateau.

"Is this it?" wondered Gray looking down.

"It must be," said Natsu. "I can smell her, Happy, and those other jerks inside somewhere."

"Happy! Wendy!" called Natsu as his voice echoed throughout the plateau. "Are you here?!"

"Hey! Be quiet!" snapped Carla. "If the enemy really is down there, then you should keep your voice down!"

* * *

Inside of the cave, Wendy's five minutes was up and Brain was awaiting her answer whether she liked it or not.

"Times up," he said. "Now what is your decision? Are you going to revive him or not?"

"No Wendy! Don't do it!" insisted Happy. "You can't do it no matter what!"

Brain having enough of Happy fired a force of magic energy at him sending him slamming to the wall and falling to the ground. Then a voice came echoing into the cave. A voice that Happy was happy to hear.

"Happy! Wendy!"

"That's Natsu!" cried Happy.

"Miserable fools," muttered Brain as he turned to the tall mohawked man beside him. "Racer! Intercept them!" he commanded.

"You got it boss," said Racer as disappeared zipping straight outside.

Brain turned back to Wendy.

"You possess the lost magic of healing magic," he said. Granting you the ability to heal anyone including your loved ones. What better time is there to use them right now? Now do it!"

Wendy trembled still unsure of what to do. Until finally... she made her decision. Much to Happy's horror, she walked over to Jellal and then she began using her healing spell.

* * *

Back outside of the cave, Natsu was still calling Wendy and Happy much to Gray's and Carla's negligence. Then suddenly something zipped right by them hitting them both and almost knocking them down. Natsu and Gray looked up towards the trees to see that Racer stood before them with a cocky smirk on his face.

"Not this guy again!" said Natsu. "What the heck is he doing here?"

"Looks like we're in the right place after all!" said Gray. "Natsu! Get going! I can take care of this guy! You need to get down there and help Wendy and Happy!"

"Gotcha!" said Natsu. "Kick his ass for me!"

"Oh no you don't!" said Racer. "You're not going anywhere!"

He jumped off the tree making an attempt to stop Natsu, but then Gray using his Ice Make Magic placed his hand on the ground leading up to the tree Racer had been standing on. Before Racer had a chance to react, he slipped on icy tree and ground and fell flat on his back

"Now Carla! Bust out your wings!" said Natsu expecting Carla to use her Aera Magic to get himself down there, but then he saw that Carla was slightly dazed and confused due to Racer's surprise attack.

"Here! Use this!" called Gray as he once more used his Ice Make Magic again. This time he made an icy slide leading all the way down inside the plateau at the cave.

"All right! Here we go!" cried Natsu.

He grabbed Carla and jumped down the icy slide with Carla who had regained her senses screaming with terror as they slid down. When Natsu made it inside of the plateau safely, his face paled slightly feeling his motion sickness coming on, but he quickly shook it off. He looked around searching for any sigh for his friends, but all he saw was old houses and waterfalls.

"Happy! You in here?!" Natsu called.

"Wendy! Answer us child!" called Carla.

Then they heard a faint voice coming from inside of a cave. Natsu and Carla immediately turned towards the direction where they heard the voice which was coming from a cave just a few feet away from them.

"Natsu!"

"That's Happy!" cried Natsu. "They gotta be in there! Let's go!"

The two of them ran straight into the cave and when they stopped dead in their tracks. Standing before them was Brain who was smirking with triumph and Shark on one side with Happy lying on the floor, a sleeping Midnight and a crying Wendy on the other and in the middle someone that made Natsu's heart leap. Standing there was someone who he thought was long dead, but was now standing before him fully revived and awake. Then he turned around and the moment Natsu saw his face and made eye contact with him, he immediately felt his blood start to boil.

"Jellal...!" he growled

"I'm so sorry..." wept Wendy. "Please forgive me... I had to do it... I had to revive him... so I could pay him back..."

Then Wendy fell to the ground unconscious. Carla immediately rushed to her side.

"Wendy! You used your healing magic didn't you!?" she scolded. "You know how heavy a toll that is for you body!"

Natsu who was still staring at Jellal immediately growled and ignited his fist on fire preparing to attack.

"I don't know what you're doing here, or why, or even how you got here," he said his voice seeping with anger. "But you don't belong here!"

Natsu charged straight at Jellal with his fire coated fist raised, but Jellal simply raised his hand and unleashed a powerful blast of his magic in a golden light sending Natsu slamming into a wall with the rubble collapsing on top of him.

"No! Natsu!" cried Happy as he quickly rushed over to help his friend.

"I see that your magic power hasn't diminished in the slightest even with your condition," observed Brain. "It's good to have you back Jellal."

Jellal looked towards Brain and then retaliated against him too. Shark being the bodyguard that he was, quickly stepped in front of Brain shielding him.

"Master! Watch out!" he said.

He prepared to protect him using his water magic, but it was too late. Jellal cast another magic attack causing the ground below Shark and Brain to explode and bury them beneath it. Then without saying a single word and without acknowledging anyone in the cave, Jellal walked away out of the cave. Happy and Carla watched as Jellal left then he turned back towards Natsu who was still buried under the rubble.

"Come Natsu! You have to get up!" he cried shaking his leg.

Natsu then sat up shaking all the rubble off of him.

"Where'd he go?! Let's rock!" cried Nastu as he looked around frantically in search for Jellal. "Bring it on! Where you go Jellal?!"

"In case you haven't noticed," said Carla flatly. "He's already gone."

"That lousy coward!" Natsu snarled now feeling more mad than before.

"Listen!" said Carla sternly. "I don't know what history you have with that man, but that doesn't matter right now. Our first priority right now is to take Wendy back to the others! You do want to save your friend Erza right?"

Natsu glared at Carla, but he knew she was right. As much has hated letting Jellal get away, but saving Erza came first.

"Damn it! I hate this!"But you're right," he growled. Then he turned to Happy. "Let's get Wendy out of here and head back! You with me Happy?"

"Aye sir!" said Happy.

Then with Happy carrying Natsu and Carla carrying Wendy, they all flew out of the cave and into the sky.

No sooner than they left, Brain and Shark emerged from the ground where Jellal had trapped them.

"Are you alright master?" asked Shark as he pushed the rubble away.

"I'm fine Shark. Thank you," said Brain. "However... that was unexpected. I never expected him to attack me like that. Perhaps I removed his shackles a little too early... But even so, he's never bore this much hostility before. Was he aware all this time? If he was, then could he have possibly over heard us talking about our plans for Nirvana while he slept?"

Brain's eyes then widened with shock almost popping out of his head.

"No! It couldn't be! Does he intend to take Nirvana's power for himself?! He mustn't! I won't allow it! It belongs to all of us! I refuse to let that happen!"

He then yelled at the top of his lungs so a certain wizard could hear him.

"Cobra! Do you hear me?! Jellal has escaped to claim Nirvana for himself! Find him and stop him at once!"

Then Cobra's voice was heard via telepathy.

"I hear you loud and clear Brain," he said. "As loudly as I can hear that traitor's footsteps."

* * *

On the top of the plateau from above, Gray and Racer were at a stand off with each other after Natsu had left. Racer was less than pleased after being stopped by Gray's ice.

"How dare you," he said angrily. "You got some nerve putting the brakes on me like that! No one does that to me!"

"Oh get over it," shrugged Gray. "All you did was lose a little traction. However if you still got a problem with that, I can do a lot more than just put the brakes on you. Want me to show you?"

"I'd like to see you try!" snarled Racer as he dashed straight towards Gray using his incredible speed. Gray managed to dodge Racer just before Racer's foot slammed into the tree behind him. Gray looked up to see Racer zip up from tree to tree reappearing on a branch above him.

"Damn! That freak's crazy fast! It's nuts!" he panted.

"Well I'm not codenamed Racer for nothing! he bragged. "In fact you can call me the fastest man alive. I'm faster than anyone or anything so you might as well give up! You'll never be able to beat me because you'll never be able to catch me!"

Then Gray looked up and Carla and Happu carrying Natsu and Wendy from above. Racer saw them too.

"All right! Natsu and Carla found them!" said Gray with relief. "Way to go!"

"What?!" exclaimed Racer. "There's no way that Brain would just let them slip away like that! How could they have slipped past him and Shark?!"

"Isn't it obvious?" smirked Gray. "Natsu probably beat 'em senseless!"

"Well it's the end of the line now!" said Racer facing towards the group. "They're not going anywhere!"

He then vanished using his speed heading straight towards Natsu and the others.

"Hey Natsu! Look out!" yelled Gray. "He's heading straight for you!"

But Natsu heard Gray's warning all too late. Racer had reappeared above them and delivered harsh kick to the cats and Natsu. Happy and Carla fell to the ground as did Natsu. Then Natsu saw Wendy about to hit the ground next to him. He scrambled across the ground managed to catch Wendy just in time. Happy and Carla were now incapacitated to fly, so Natsu scooped up the cats in his other arm and took off running trying to escape.

"I don't think so!" said Racer as he gathered speed. "I told you that it's the end of the line!"

He chased after Natsu in hot pursuit, but then Gray stepped in between them barring Racer's way.

"ICE MAKE RAMPART!"

Gray then create a massive wall of ice that stretched towards the sky cutting Racer off and making him smack head first into the wall. Natsu looked back to see Gray panting trying to catch his breath. It had appeared that use expended a lot of his magic power just to use that particular spell.

"Gray! Are you OK?!" he called out on the other side. "You got this guy?"

"Yeah! Don't worry!" Gray called back. "Hurry and get going! I told you I got this guy!"

"But you just used up a lot of your magic power just now!" said Natsu concerned. "Are you sure?!"

"Just go dammit!" snapped Gray. "No matter what it takes, I'm not gonna let this guy pass even if it costs me my life! Don't worry about me! I said I got this so get going! Erza's counting on us and her life depends on it!"

Natsu stared at Gray's back still worried for him, but he looked away and did what he was told and took off running. "Thanks Gray!" he yelled. "But once we save Erza, we're coming back you! You hear me!? Don't you go dying on us!"

Gray smiled to himself as Natsu carrying Happy, Carla, and Wendy disappeared into the forest. "I know you will..." he said under his breath.

Racer who had now recovered from hitting the ice wall stood up and touching the surface of the ice feeling how cold it was feeling more irritated at Gray than every before.

"That's the second time that you managed stopped me," he spoke in a low threatening voice.

"And that's definitely not gonna be the last because I'm gonna keep on stopping you," Gray shot back casting a predatory glare at Racer. "You know that ice has the power to slow everything down including life right? When I'm done with you, you're gonna be going so slow, you'll be the one not able to catch up pal! Then I'll freeze you dead your tracks forever!"

* * *

Natsu had managed to gain a good amount of distance away from Racer and Gray and was now running through the forest in hopes of heading back to Hibiki and Lucy's location. Then he heard Happy as he started to come around.

"What happened?" he mumbled. "What's going on?"

"Glad to see that you're finally awake little buddy," said Natsu.

"Natsu? Where are we? What happened to Gray?" wondered Happy.

"No time to worry about that now," said Natsu. "Just try not to talk and focus on getting some rest."

"But Jellal is out there," said Happy. "We can't just let him go around free."

"I understand that, but we can't worry about that right now," said Natsu. "Right now we gotta get back to Erza so Wendy can heal her. But don't you worry. He may back, but he isn't gonna stick around for long! I'll make sure of that!"

Then suddenly a male voice rang in Natsu's head causing him to come to a complete stop. "Hey Natsu!"

"What the heck," said Natsu as he looked around.

"What's wrong now Natsu?" asked Happy. "Why did you suddenly stop?"

Natsu then looked up at a tree. "I think I heard that tree talking," he said.

The voice came again.

"Can you hear me?" it said. "I repeat: can you hear me?"

"Yes I can hear you," said Natsu uncertainly. "Who... are you Mr. tree?"

"Mr. tree? No it's me. Hibiki from Blue Pegasus," responded the voice. "I'm speaking to you through telepathy. I was worried a bit considering that I wasn't able to contact anyone else, but now I'm a little relieved to hear from you."

"Whoa... you're a ventriloquist or something!" said Natsu.

"First of all, that's furthest thing from what I'm doing, so stop being silly," said Hibiki flatly. "Secondly you need to keep your voice down. The enemy has scouts throughout the Woodsea, so it's possible that they could be listening in on us. That's why I'm speaking to you directly into your head thanks to my Archive magic. Pretty cool huh?"

Natsu had a blank expression on his face not sure what Hibiki had just said. Hibiki then continued.

"By the way, what's your status?" he asked. "Have you managed to find Wendy and Happy yet?"

"Oh yeah we did! They're right here with me," replied Natsu. "Happy's managed to wake up and Wendy's unconscious but OK too.

"That's great to hear," said Hibiki with relief. "Now hold on a second. I'm going to upload a map into your mind so that way you'll be able to find you way back to the temporary camp where me, Lucy, and Erza are at. I would send the map to Happy as well, but I can't seem to make a connection with his mind. It's probably due to the injuries he's sustained and how low his magic power is. Anyway, once the map is uploaded into your mind,get to the location as fast as you can! We don't have the luxury of time right now."

"Hold on just a minute! What do you mean upload?" demanded Natsu. "Stay out of my-"

Then before Natsu had a chance to object, a picture of a map popped into his head showing his location as well as where he was supposed to go.

"Natsu... I think you need some help," said Happy. "Who are you talking to?"

"Not now! I have to follow a map inside my brain!" said Natsu as he started running again. "Wow! I can even see where Erza is! I don't know what this upload stuff is, but it's awesome! Thanks Hibiki!"

"Oh man... he's gone even more crazy than I thought," said Happy worriedly.

* * *

Back in Hibiki's group, Hibiki was just finishing uploading the map to Natsu's mind and was keeping track of his location. Lucy was still keeping watch over Erza as she lied there still unconscious. The poison from her arm had now spread throughout her arm and was reaching just over her shoulder. Lucy who had heard Natsu and Hibiki talking thanks to his archive was a little puzzled.

"Hey Hibiki. How were you able to tell Natsu exactly where to go?" she asked.

"It's thanks to the Archive Magic," explained Hibiki. "I was able to compress the information while I sent it making easier and faster to transmit than it ever could verbally."

"Wow... I had no idea that was even possible," said Lucy.

"It's only natural you'd think that," said Hibiki. "Considering that magically converting and transmitting data like this is a pretty new concept."

"Wow... that's pretty impressive Hibiki," said Lucy. She then turned back towards Erza. "You hear that Erza? Wendy's on her way right now and she'll be here soon," she said reassuredly. "Just hold on a little bit longer until then, OK? Stay strong!" She then squeezed Erza's hand looking determined. "I know I'm not the strongest wizard and I may not be much of a fighter, but I'll stay here and protect you no matter what! Promise!

Hibiki looked back saw how determined was Lucy and he couldn't help but a small smile show on his face. Lucy was surprised.

"Hey. What are you smiling about at a time like this?" she asked slightly indignant. "Don't you have some work to do?!"

"Sorry about that. I didn't mean anything by it," chuckled Hibiki. "I was just thinking that it's nice to see some light in these dark times right now."

* * *

Meanwhile, Jellal was walking through the woods seeming to be heading towards somewhere. He had one thing on his mind and that was to find Nirvana. He must find Nirvana. He had to find Nirvana. No matter what the cost.

Then as he continued to walk, he came across Erigor who was still unconscious from his recent fight with Natsu. Jellal then looked at his own clothes and noticed how tattered and torn they were. He had these clothes ever since back at the Tower of Heaven. Feeling that his clothes were a bit inadequite, he stripped Erigor of his clothes leaving him in nothing but his underwear, He then put them on himself. Surprisingly Erigor's clothes fit perfectly. They weren't too big nor were they too small.

Once he made sure his clothes were on, he resumed walking eager to complete his mission. Then he looked at his hand seeming to be in very deep in thought about something. Then for first time since he had awakened. He uttered one single word.

"Erza..." he murmured.

He continued to walk through the Woodsea thinking about that name that popped into his mind as he disappeared into the distance.

* * *

 _Another chapter is finally done!_

 _If you liked what you read, don't be afraid to like me a PM or a review!_

 _Also feel free to follow and fav my story!_

 _Until then..._

 _Dragoman out!_


	42. Chapter 42 Speed and Ice

_Now here goes another chapter!_

 _Happy reading!_

* * *

Chapter 42

Speed and Ice

Back on the other side of the wall of ice, Gray was squaring off with a very vengeful Racer. Gray was still feeling a little tired from using his Ice Make Rampart to stop Racer from pursuing Natsu and the others, but he was still ready and willing to fight.

"I know I said that I'd take care of him," Gray thought. "But this isn't gonna be easy." He shook his head. "No don't think like that. There's no way that I'm gonna let this guy have his way. I have to beat him no matter what it takes!"

"Well I gotta say, I'm impressed with you Ice Wizard," smirked Racer venomously. "No one's ever been able to stop me twice before. So, in order to keep my reputation intact I'll save face and give yours a trashing you'll never forget."

"Oh, is that so?" said Gray putting up his guard. "You certainly got talk, but can you back it up?"

Then Racer dashed forward and reappeared right behind Gray making his eyes go wide with surprise. Gray turned around only see nothing behind him as Racer disappeared again.

"You don't seem to realize something," said Racer reappeared behind Gray once again. "I could have easily had gone to catch up to that fire breathing brat if I wanted, but I didn't because I want the satisfaction of getting rid of you first."

Gray turned around again only to have Racer disappear once again and reappear behind him using his speed. He then talked right into Gray's ear.

"Once I leave you in the dust, I'll have just enough time to catch up with that brat and take him out," he said. "And it won't take very long!"

"Just you try it!" snapped Gray. "I won't let that happen!

He turned around to see that Racer was now a few feet away from him. He immediately went on the attack using his Ice Make magic slamming his hands to the ground and unleashing a floor of ice with spikes. Racer zipped around as the floor spread and then reappeared behind Gray and gave him a powerful kick to his back sending him flying into the air but Gray managed to right himself and landed safely on the ground. He quickly looked around trying to see where Racer went, but he couldn't see him at all.

"Oh man! This guy's so fast! I can't keep up with him!" he said to himself. "How am I supposed to fight this guy?"

Suddenly Gray felt something go right by him landing a blow to his chest knocking him flat on the ground on his back as Racer reappeared with his back to him.

"This answer to your question is that you can't," he said flashing a smile filled with cockiness. "You're way too slow. You can attack me all you want, but your never be able to catch me with your slow Ice Magic."

"What did you say?!" growled Gray as he got to his feet.

Racer continued to mock Gray. "Tell you what Ice Boy," he said. "I'm willing to let you go if you go back to lying on the ground and staying there. That's where you belong anyway."

"Over my dead body!" snapped Gray.

"I can certainly arrange that for you," Racer grinned. "Let's kick things into overdrive! DEAD GRAND PRIX!"

He raised his hand and then swung his hand down like he was karate-chopping casting another spell, then there was a strange rumbling sound like the sound of an engine on a race car coming from behind him. Gray looked and saw several little lights that shone from in the bushes which made him worried.

"What the heck are those things?" he wondered taking a step back. "Whatever they are, I'm sure it isn't anything good."

Then suddenly dozens of two wheeled green vehicles came shooting out of the darkness from behind Racer. Gray immediately knew what they were.

"Magi-cycles!"

The Magi-cycles came shooting right at Gray each one threatening to run him over. Gray managed to dodge them, but each one just barely missed him or lightly scratched him.

"Dammit! How many of these things are there?!" he thought as he dodged another magi-cycle. "There's so many of them that I can't even keep up! If I don't do something quick, I'm gonna get ripped apart by these things!"

Then Gray had an idea just as Racer hopped on top of a red Magi-cycle and drove it straight towards him.

"Here's a little taste of my motor show from hell!" he yelled as he hit Gray square on with his cycle as he drove by.

Gray screamed in pain as he was sent flying into the air taking quite a lot of damage. He was able to once again land back on his feet, but the magi-cycles began circling around him like a pack of sharks circling their prey.

Racer clicked his tongue in annoyance. "He's a tough little bastard," he muttered.

"Hey Blondie!" yelled Gray. "These things are Magi-cycles, right? That means you can ride these scrap heaps!"

"That's right," said Racer. "And not only that, but these sleek wonders were built to be almost as fast as I am. These babies not only are too much for you to handle, but they can run circles around a slowpoke chump like you!"

"Sound interesting!" said Gray flashing a grin. "I'll take that as a challenge!"

He ran towards a magi-cycle and leaped into the air and managed to land right on top of one gained control of it. He also found an S.E.-plug on top of the handlebars which he put on his right wrist.

"Well what do you know, looks like a slowpoke chump like me was able to tame one of these chargers!" he said victoriously. "And thank you for including a S.E.-plug by the way! It was very kind of you!"

"Well fancy that," said Racer who was annoyed but at the same time impressed. "Guess you proved me wrong, but if you really think that you can beat me in a race like this, you're sadly mistaken! Especially since you're hooked up to that magi-cycle!"

He was right about one thing. Due to Gray having the S.E. plug on his wrist, it was constantly sapping away at Gray's magic just to keep the magi-cycle active. It definitely was going to be tough, but that wasn't about to stop Gray.

"Come on then!" yelled Gray as he revved his engine pulling up alongside Racer. "I can take you on! Let's go right here and now! You and me!"

"You must be kidding me! You're challenging me to a race?" Racer yelled back. "You don't stand a chance in hell against me!"

"I wouldn't be so quick to judge!" Gray shot back. "Underestimate me and you'll be paying for it by eating my dust buddy!"

They raced through the trees in the Woodsea clashing with their vehicles again and again. Pillars of dust exploded from their collision. Eventually they made their way to a clearing on a rocky path racing side by side heading right towards a cliff.

"I gotta say kid, I'm pretty impressed," said Racer. "From someone who comes from a weak, pathetic, and goodie-two-shoes guild, you got some pretty sharp instincts."

Gray felt a pang of anger from that insult. "What'd you say?!" he snapped. "OK that's it! Now I'm really mad! I'll teach you not to mock Fairy Tail!"

He brought his hands together putting his fist into his palm and bringing them both back behind him.

"ICE MAKE: LANCE!"

Then Gray unleashed a barrage of lances made of ice aiming straight at Racer. The attack caused a large boom making dust fly everywhere, but Racer and Gray both shot out from the cloud of dust completely unharmed dropping down from the cliff and riding downwards on it heading towards the forest below.

"You know what? I take it back," said Racer with a cocky smile. "Maybe you're not as sharp as I thought. You're still way too slow!"

"Shut up! It's hard to do anything like this!" snapped Gray as their magi-cycles hit the ground with a jolt. "Besides I'm still right on your tail man!"

"How about we change that?" said Racer. "Let's see if you're fast enough to dodge this one Fairy! HIGH SPEED RUSH!"

He turned around behind him and held out his hand aiming at Gray and making a magic circle appear. Then suddenly several fast spinning tires appeared out of nowhere and shot straight towards Gray.

"Damn it! Now's throwing tires at me?!" he cried as he forced his magi-cycle to power-slide to defend from the incoming tires. Some of the tires harmlessly missed him and some bounced off the magi-cycle. Gray gritted his teeth as the impact of the tires shook the magi-cycle, but he was then able to drive right again and began pursuing Racer once more.

"Not too shabby chump," said Racer. "Now that we're properly warmed up, the Dead Grand Prix can really start! In fact, it's just getting started!"

The two mages riding their magi-cycles circled each other and soon came to a felled tree that made it like a tunnel. The two entered the tree tunnel and were so driving so fast, they were able to drive along the sides. Racer then went on the attack taking advantage of the darkness and the cramped space of the tunnel. On the back of his magi-cycle, a compartment opened revealing several lasers on it.

"It's the end of the line for you now!" yelled Racer. "There's no way that you'll be able dodge this!"

The lasers then fired unleashed hot beams of light straight at Gray. The lasers hit their target with a mighty boom causing the ground to shake and the log they were in to explode into a million splinters. Dust and wood flew everywhere. When the smoke cleared, Gray came out of the smoke skidding to a stop still intact from the attack, but he was pretty shaken up.

"Geez! That was too close for comfort," he said. "This guy's definitely got a couple of screws loose in the insane variety!"

Then he heard Racer who had also came to a stop completely unfazed by the recent explosion.

"What's the matter pretty boy? Too intense for you?" he teased. "Because I can guarantee you that it's only gonna get worse from here!"

Racer's magi-cycle then revealed two more compartments of lasers on top of the headlight and on the sides of its forks. Gray's eyes went wide with shock as the lasers began charging up power getting ready to fire at him again. Gray quickly flared his engine and was on the move again just as Racer's lasers began fire at him. Luckily the lasers just barely missed. Racer then shot ahead of him firing another barrage of lasers again with Gray following close behind swerving as he dodged the incoming attacks.

"There's no way I'm gonna lose to this freak!" Gray thought to himself his face scowling with determination. "I can't lose to this freak! Erza and the others are counting on me!"

* * *

Meanwhile not too far away, Lyon and Sherry were still searching for the village based on the information they had obtained from the members of Red Hood. Then they felt the ground tremble beneath them and heard the sounds of explosions causing them both to stop.

"What was that?" wondered Sherry. "Some kind of enemy attack?"

"I don't know," said Lyon. "But I think I have an idea."

Just then someone raced right by them on top of a log riding a red magi-cycle. The moment Sherry and Lyon saw the person riding it, they knew who it was.

"Lyon! That guy's with the Oración Seis!" cried Sherry.

"Yes, I know," said Lyon. "The one known as Racer."

Then another magi-cycle pulled up right in front of them coming to a screeching halt. The person riding it was none other than Gray.

"Gray?"

"Lyon! Your timing couldn't be better!" said Gray. "Come on and hop aboard!"

"Excuse me?" Lyon asked feeling a little baffled.

"You heard me," said Gray flashing a smile. "Just shut up and get on already!"

Lyon was still was feeling confused, but he quickly shook it off and then got on the magi-cycle sitting behind Gray. Sherry on the other hand was still baffled.

"But Lyon! Wait a minute-!" she began, but Lyon quickly interrupted.

"Don't worry about me Sherry," he said. "You stay here on standby!"

Then Gray with Lyon riding along sped away leaving Sherry along and even more confused than before.

"Standby? I know I said that I would always follow Lyon to the ends of the earth, but... I'm not really sure what that is supposed to entail," she said.

* * *

Back in the high-speed chase, Gray and Lyon sped through the forest in hot pursuit of Racer. They raced through the forest until they made their way to an open field. They could see Racer in sight and were starting to catch up.

"Hey Gray! Did you find Wendy?" asked Lyon.

"She's fine and Happy's alright too!" replied Gray. "Natsu's managed to get them both to safety and is taking them to Hibiki, Lucy, and Erza as we speak!"

"I see. That's good," said Lyon sounding relieved. Then he turned his attention towards Racer up ahead. "So, what's the plan then? Why did you bring me along?"

"I need you to help me take out this speed freak," explained Gray. "It's practically nearly impossible for me to cast spells while I'm driving this thing."

"Oh? So what you're trying to say is that you can't do this without me is that right?" smirked Lyon. "Very well then Gray, but be sure to pay close attention as I show you how to use some real Ice Make Magic."

"Oh give it a rest already!" Gray said now annoyed. "Cut the big talk and just do it already!"

"Alright then! Here goes!" said Lyon as he prepared to use his Ice Make magic by putting his fist into his palm.

Gray happened to catch a glimpse at what Lyon was doing and he was surprised. The reason being was back in the Galuna Island incident when he and Lyon were enemies. While they both used the exact same magic, Lyon cast his spells using one hand while Gray used two. Gray could still remember Lyon's words from back then.

 _"How pathetic... I see you still use two hands when you cast your Ice Make Spells..."_

"Lyon...? You're using two hands..." murmured Gray. "Why are you..."

Lyon smiled. "That is what Ur taught us right?"

Gray stared at the man behind him with surprise not expecting that response, but then he smiled.

"I guess being in a guild's changed him after all," he thought to himself.

"ICE MAKE: EAGLE!"

Lyon cast his spell unleashing a flock of eagles made of ice aiming right for Racer. The eagles hit their mark destroying the red magi-cycle in a million pieces.

"All right! You got him!" cried Gray.

"No I didn't!" said Lyon. "He's not down yet!"

Sure enough, Racer had appeared just above them having to have dodged the attack just in the nick of time.

"Now you've gone and done it!" he growled. "Here's payback for trashing my ride!"

He then dive-bombed straight towards them and using his overwhelming speed, destroyed the magi-cycle in an instant sending Gray and Lyon tumbling to the ground. However, that didn't stop the two from attacking. Thinking that Racer was open, they both immediately attacked again.

"ICE MAKE: APE!"

"ICE MAKE: HAMMER!"

Lyon unleashed an ape that sprang into life throwing a punch at Racer, but he was able to dodge that attack. Gray at that same created a large ice hammer that swung down at Racer threatening to squash him, but again he was able to dodge the attack using his speed.

"That's some pretty fast maker magic you guys got there," called out Racer as he zipped around towards them. "But you're gonna have to be a lot faster than that! Then again you guys don't have the speed to keep up with me!"

He then attacked by giving Lyon a sharp kick to his midsection and then dashed back to Gray giving him a punch right to his jaw. Both of them fell to the ground as Racer reappeared in front of them once standing tall without taking a single hit. He turned back towards them and flashed a cocky smile.

"Just give it up already!" he said. "If you ever want to land a single hit one me, then you'll have to be fast as lightning!"

He then disappeared once again using his overwhelming speed dashing all around Gray and Lyon.

"Damn it! This is pointless!" Gray growled in frustration as he and Lyon got back on their feet. "We can't land a single hit on him!"

"Calm down Gray!" said Lyon. "Don't go losing your cool on me now! We will be able to stop him together! We just need to focus!"

"Focus huh? Sounds good to me," said Gray now smirking with excitement. "Then what do you say we cut loose then?"

"Get ready Gray!" shouted Lyon. "He's coming at four o'clock! When I give the word, fire with everything you got and don't hold back!"

Then Gray and Lyon both took off their shirts leaving them practically half naked. Racer was a little urked wondering why the two were taking off their clothes (and apparently at such a speed), but that wasn't going to stop him from attacking the two as he dashed straight towards them.

"Get ready Gray!" shouted Lyon. "He's coming at four o'clock fifty meters ahead! When I give the word, fire with everything you got and don't hold back!"

They then waited until Racer was close enough. As soon as they thought he was close enough Lyon then shouted.

"Now Gray! Attack! He's right in front of us!"

"We got you now! ICE GEYSER!"

Gray slammed his hands into the ground and a giant tower of ice erupted from the ground spiking all around it. Racer zipped and zagged all around the tower of ice dodging all the spikes. Lyon then attacked next.

"SNOW DRAGON!"

A large dragon of ice roared as it tried to attack Racer, but Racer once again zipped and zagged dodging the mighty ice beast.

"No way!" cried Gray. "He dodged all of that!?"

"And to make things worse, he's even faster than before!" said Lyon.

Just then Racer flew right by them knocking them both aside like a hit and run car accident again and again.

"What's the matter punks!? Can't keep up?" mocked Racer as he kept on hitting them.

It seemed that Racer had Lyon and Gray beat, but then Lyon noticed something as he fell to the ground. In the distance, he saw a flock of birds. They were just like any other flock of birds, but they were flying in an incredible speed. In fact, they were being just as fast as Racer. That was when it hit him. He figured it out what was going on and he figured out how to beat Racer. Racer then reappeared in front of them once again with his back turned brimming with confidence.

"You can attack me for all you want, but you'll never be able to hit me," he said with an evil cocky smile. "I told you time and time again, no one can keep up with my speed. I am the fastest man alive after all."

In the distance behind some trees, Sherry has finally caught up and she had been watching the fight the whole time. She was worried.

"This is bad," she said to herself. "Even with those two working together, they still can't touch him. Are all of the Oración Seis this powerful?"

Racer then turned around and cracked his knuckles. "This has been fun, but now I think it's time I put an end to this," he smirked. "Once I'm done, I'll go back and retrieve the girl for Brain."

Gray took a defensive stance ready to fight once again, but then he heard Lyon. He spoke in a low voice so Racer wouldn't hear.

"Gray. Listen to me. I've figured it out," he said. "I found his weakness and now I know how we're gonna beat this guy."

"Care to explain how?" asked Gray.

Then Lyon whispered his plan to Gray. Sherry continued to watch from the sidelines as they consulted with each other.

"I wonder what those two are talking about?" she wondered.

"So those two are having a strategy meeting huh? What a waste of time," scoffed Racer under his breath.

Soon enough Lyon finished telling Gray his plan.

"You got that? That's the plan," he said.

Gray then looked at Lyon completely surprised. "You're kidding me! You're out of your mind!" he said.

"You heard me," said Lyon. "And if you don't like it, then too bad. I don't need you now. I can stop him "

Then the next thing Gray knew and to Sherry and even Racer's surprise, Lyon had encased Gray in a pillar that grew higher and higher till it was above the treetops.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" yelled Gray. "Let me out of here! Quit screwing around! There's no way you can take on this guy by yourself and you know it!"

"Just sit back and watch Gray," he said. "I'll finish him."

"Well that was kinda harsh," said Racer. "I would have thought that you'd treat your friends a little better."

"Please don't get the wrong idea," said Lyon. "We're the furthest thing from friends. We simply studied under the same master when we were kids. Nothing more and nothing less."

Sherry then came out from her hiding place and ran up to him. "Lyon! Why are freezing him like this?!" she cried. "We'll need his help to beat this guy!"

Lyon smiled at Sherry. "Don't complain Sherry," he said. "We can handle this on our own. The two of us will give Lamia Scale it's greatest victory ever. Now let's go Sherry!"

Sherry was still a little put off for what Lyon had just did, but she wasn't the one to go back on Lyon's orders. "Y-yeah. Of course!"

Racer scowled. "I'd wouldn't be so confident if I was you. Let it go to your head and you'll be quick and sure to lose. Then again you never really had a chance to win to begin with."

"You should take your own advice," Lyon shot back. "Now come get some!"

Racer then disappeared once again using his speed.

"MARIONETTE ATTACK: ROCK DOLL!"

Sherry then cast one of her spells creating a large golem made from the rock below the ground. The golem then swung one of it's hard fists punching toward Racer, but Racer was able to dodge the attack with ease.

"That's a pretty neat trick girly," he said. "but sadly, it's way to slow too hit me! It's practically standing still!"

Racer then attacked the golem hitting it repeatedly his blows slowly reducing the golem to rubble.

"Damn it! I can't even see him!" said Sherry. "Fine then! Try this! WOOD DOLL!"

Sherry then made another golem. This time it was made from one of the trees nearby. The golem swung its limbs at Racer who once again dodged with ease.

"Come on! I told you it's pointless!" said Racer. "Keep on throwing your puppets, but you'll never be able to hit me!"

"Fine then! How about this then?!" said Sherry as she manipulated her Wood Doll to use its branches to trap Racer in between them making him unable to move.

"How's that?" smiled Sherry. "Not too slow now am I?"

"Oh no! You got me," said Racer feigning sorrow. Then he smirked. "Just kidding!" He then disappeared from his wooden prison shocking Sherry.

"No way! How was he able to break free?!" she cried.

Racer then zipped by Sherry landing a blow to her hard reappearing right above her. "Like I said sweetheart! You're way too slow!"

He was about to attack Sherry again, but then a tiger made of ice pounced towards Racer forcing him to dodge once again. Then Racer heard Lyon.

"Over here slowpoke! I'm the one you want!"

Racer turned his attention towards Lyon's voice and he saw him a few feet running as fast as he could. Taking it as a challenge, Racer then zipped after him quickly closing the distance.

"I don't know what you're getting at by calling me that," he said. " But the only slowpoke around here is you!"

"Oh please! That speed is all you've got anyway!" Lyon shot back as he skidded to a stop and prepared to use another spell. "It means nothing if your attacks have no power behind them! Because of that, you don't have the power to land a decisive blow!"

"Oh yeah!? We'll see about that!" said Racer as he shot straight toward Lyon.

Just when he thought Racer was close enough, Lyon then cast another spell.

"ICE MAKE: HEDGEHOG!"

Several numerous spikes of ice appeared on Lyon's body giving him the appearance of a hedgehog. Racer immediately skidded to a stop just in front of Lyon.

"I'd be careful by not getting so close if I was you, unless you want to end up as a shish kabob" said Lyon smiling with confidence. He then jumped into the air into the trees taunting Racer once again. "What's the matter Racer?! Are you afraid now that your speed is going to end up skewering you?"

Racer grinned darkly as a magic circle appeared below him as he prepared to cast another spell.

"Don't you dare get cocky with me kid," he growled. "GEAR CHANGE: RED ZONE!"

The magic circle he was standing on quickly turned to red and Racer shot forwards straight at Lyon kicking up a lot of dust. Lyon didn't even have time to defend as Racer slammed right into his gut with a powerful kick shattering his spikes and sending him straight to the ground making a cloud of dust from the impact.

"That was my top speed just now, said Racer as he reappeared. "Did you honestly think that I would go all out from the start against such a weak opponent like you?"

Then from the dust Racer was surprised to see Lyon still standing and on the run again.

"Come and get me!" he yelled. "I'm just getting started!"

"You're on!" Racer smirked.

He then went on the attack again using his full speed catching up with Lyon and sending him high into the air with another powerful kick. Lyon fell to the ground tumbling, but he managed to get back on his feet and was running again. This went on again and again. All Sherry could do was watch Lyon take the merciless beatings in stride and continue to run. She wanted to help, but she was still feeling the recent attack Racer had inflicted on her earlier.

"Please hang on Lyon..." she said to herself. "Don't give up..."

"What happened to all that bravado kid?!" snarled Racer as he right crossed Lyon smack on his cheek sending him to the ground once again. "Don't tell me that was just talk!"

Lyon grunted as he winced in pain, but he willed himself back to his feet and once more started running again with everything he had. Now Sherry was feeling more confused than before.

"What is he up to? And where is he going?" she wondered.

"Wow. I don't know if this guy's just being stubborn, but he sure is a glutton for punishment," said Racer as he chased after Lyon again.

The chase went on until Lyon and Racer soon came to a cliff that was high from the ground. Once Lyon realized this, he immediately turned around and attacked Racer.

"ICE MAKE: EAGLE!"

"When are you gonna realize that you're not gonna be able to hit me?!" yelled Racer as he dodged and weaved from the attacks making the eagles fall harmlessly to the ground turning into small spiked piles of ice. "Is this really the best you got?! What a waste of time! I guess you are nothing but big talk!"

He then proceed to give Lyon a merciless beat down zipping all around him and punching and kicking him in an overwhelming speed. He punched and he kicked and he kicked and he punched until he finished with a powerful downwards punch sending Lyon to the ground with a thud flat on his back and his head propped against a log. Lyon tried to get up, but then Racer reappeared sitting right on top of his lap preventing him from moving.

"And don't think I haven't forgotten what you said before," said Racer now wearing an angry frown. "You really don't think that I have the power to land a decisive blow?" He then grabbed a spike from one of the piles of ice from Lyon's attack and broke it off. "Why don't I show you?!"

He raised the spike over his head treating it like a dagger and swung it down towards Lyon's throat. However, he stopped making the sharp end of the spike just inches away from Lyon's throat.

"You see that? I don't need attack power to finish a punk like you," said Racer. "With my speed, I could easily take you out before you even had a chance to react or think about using your magic! Although I gotta say, you got some skills and the bravado to back it up. You would have been able to live a little longer have you not crossed paths with me, but I'm a member of the Oración Seis. Six Demons... six Prayers... six unwavering pillars... and if there's anyone who dares try to cut us off will pay the ultimate price... that is death! So, get ready to say goodbye because you're finished!"

Lyon then looked up at the sky and saw a bird flying above. He could see that it was flying on normal speed. He looked at Racer and he smiled.

"I see... It's just as I thought," he said.

Racer was now puzzled. "What's the matter? The fear of death making you confused?"

"Actually, the opposite," said Lyon. "I figured out the truth to your magic. A while back while me and Gray were fighting you before, I noticed some birds in the distance. They were flying unbelievably fast just like how you were going so fast before. That's when it hit me. You magic doesn't make you fast at all. It actually makes a target's perspective of speed slow down within a certain radius. In other words, you slowed me down. Nothing more and nothing less. You're just as slow as the rest of us no matter what you're called."

Racer was now seething in anger and sweating in fear as Lyon smirked knowing that he had him figured out.

"And since your magic can only work within a fixed area and that you're followed me all the way out here," continued Lyon. "Gray's now outside of your magic and ready to take you out!"

Then several meters away from where he was frozen, Gray broke free from Lyons ice and could see Racer in the distance.

"Now this is more like it! Fresh air and clear shot!" he smiled as he created a bow and arrow of ice and took aim.

"Then you froze him on purpose just to give him a sniping post!" cried Racer in disbelief now feeling fear for the first time in this first. "But... there's no way that he could hit me from that distance! He's too far away!"

"Oh, he will," said Lyon sitting up and smiling victoriously. "If it's one thing I learned, it's to never underestimate a wizard like him! Especially since he comes from the Fairy Tail guild!"

Gray pulled back the arrow as much as he could. Then with a mighty twang and a flash, he unleashed one of his greatest and most powerful spells.

"SUPER FREEZING... ARROW!"

The arrow of ice launched piercing the air flying straight toward Racer. Racer tried to get away, but not even him wouldn't be able to get away from the arrow in time.

"It's so fast!" he cried as the arrow shot straight into him with incredible speed and velocity. As Gray's attack was about hit him, Racer saw his past life in the Tower of Heaven flash before his very eyes. He also began to remember then prayer he made as a member of the Oración Seis.

"My prayer... was to be fast..." he thought. "Faster than anyone else... that's all I want..."

Then the arrow hit Racer with a mighty explosion as a bright blue light shone illumination the area. When the dust settled, Racer was now lying on the ground unconscious and finally defeated. A few moments later, Gray had come down from his snipping post and Sherry who had recovered both met up with Lyon as he finally had some time to rest.

"Looks like we did it," said Gray looking at Racer's unconscious body. "I can't believe your plan actually worked."

"I can't either," sighed Lyon. "And to think that there's five more just as strong as he is."

"On that note, could you both please tell me when you two are going plan something that crazy!?" said Sherry pouting. "I actually thought you two were fighting!"

"Don't blame me," smirked Gray. "It was all my senior pupil's plan." He then went over to Lyon offering his hand. "You need some help standing up?"

"Don't worry about me," said Lyon. "I'll just sit here for a little while longer to catch my breath."

Then Racer began to stir and regain consciousness, slowly pulling himself up on his feet. "I'M NOT DONE YET!" he roared. "In the name of the Oración Seis, I refuse to accept defeat! I'm taking you all to the big slab in the sky!"

Lyon, Gray, and Sherry looked at Racer in shock as he ripped his jacket open revealing a strange device strapped to the middle of his chest. It was circular in appearance and had 5 orange lights on it and had a red glowing orb in the middle. The moment the three saw the device on his chest they immediately knew what it was.

"No... it can't be...!" gasped Lyon.

"He's rigged himself with a bomb lacrima!" cried Sherry.

"You can't be serious!" exclaimed Gray. "He's gone completely insane!"

Racer now wore a grin of totally insanity. "We'll all cross the finish line together!" he crowed. "Prepare yourselves!"

"Not gonna happen!" said Gray as he prepared to use his magic to try and stop Racer. However, he had used practically every ounce of his magic in the last attack. He felt weak almost fainting. "Damn it... not now..."

Racer then ran straight for the three as the bomb on his chest began to count down with him laughing in utter insanity. It seemed that it was the end as the larcima began to countdown all the way to zero, but then at the last second Lyon rushed forward and tackled Racer sending him and himself over the cliff much to Gray and Sherry's horror.

"No! Lyon!" cried Sherry and Gray as they saw them both drop plummeting to the ground below.

Then the lacrima went off with a mighty kaboom shaking the entire area. Sherry and Gray stared at the smoke from the explosion in silence. Then Sherry sank to her knees and let out a cry of despair.

"NOOOO! This isn't happening! It can't be happening! He can't be gone!" she cried as her eyes welling in tears. "How could this have happened?!

"No! It can't be!" said Gray. "Lyon can't be dead! He's gotta be alive down there! Come on let's find him!"

Gray having to have recovered a little and refusing to believe that Lyon was dead, managed to make a slide of ice as he slid down on it hoping to search for Lyon. All Sherry could do was stare into the ground below in grief for what had happened to Lyon. Then her grief began to take slight hatred as she clenched her hands in anger.

"Someone's gotta pay this..." she murmured.

* * *

Back at the cave, Brain along with Shark and Midnight were still inside waiting for something to happen. Suddenly Brain felt a shot of pain go through his head causing him shoot a hand towards his cheek. At the very same time, one of the black lines on his cheek vanished. He immediately knew what had happened and that made his eyes wide with shock and utter disbelief.

"Master? Are you alright?" asked Shark.

"No... it can't be..." murmured Brain. "Racer was defeated... But...how...? How could one of the pillars of Oración Seis be defeated like this?!"

"It would appear that the enemy was far stronger than we expected," said Shark. "What do you suggest we do master?"

Brain then looked at Midnight who was still sleeping in his corner. "I have no choice now," he said grimly. "Although I never imagined that I would be forced to send him. However I don't have a choice. Midnight! Wake up! You have work to do!"

At the sound of Brain's voice, Midnight stirred and then he opened his red eyes that gleamed in the darkness. He then stood up and stood before his leader.

"Eliminate every last one of your enemies!" said Brain with an evil smirk. "Find your enemies and toss them into your ever ending nightmare!"

Midnight stared at Brain and then replied.

"Yes... Father..."

* * *

 _Once again I'm sorry for those of you who are suffering from Shark deficiency syndrome, but don't worry!_

 _Shark will be in action soon enough. You'll just have to be patient a little bit longer!_

 _Until then, I'll try my best to speed things up!_

 _Dragoman out!_


	43. Chapter 43 The Darkness Within

_Here's another chapter!_

 _Hope you guys like it!_

* * *

Chapter 43

The Darkness Within

Back with Lucy and Hibiki, they were still waiting anxiously for Natsu to return with Wendy and Happy. At this point, the poison had spread all throughout Erza's arm and was now spreading up on her neck almost touching her cheek. Then the was a rustling in the bushes causing Lucy and Hibiki to turn towards the direction towards them. Hibiki immediately was on guard as was Lucy and prepared themselves to fight so they could protect Erza in case it was an enemy. But then someone popped out of the bushes front in front of them. It was Natsu carrying Happy and Carla on one arm and Wendy on the other.

"I finally made it!" Natsu said with a grin. "Hey you guys! Did ya miss me?"

"Natsu!" said Lucy her face immediately lit up with joy.

"Thank goodness," said Hibiki with relief. "We're glad you made it back safely Natsu."

"By the way, how the heck did you do all of that with that map thing anyway?" wondered Natsu. "All of a sudden it just popped into my head.

"I'll explain it to you later," said Hibiki. "Right now, we need Wendy's help to heal Erza. Is she alright?"

"Oh, she's fine," said Natsu. "In fact, I'll wake her up right now." He then set Wendy down and then started to shake her like a rag doll. "Hey! Wendy! It's time for you to wake up! I saved you, now it's your turn to save Erza!"

"Hey! Don't be so rough with her Natsu!" cried Lucy worriedly. "Take it easy already!"

But Natsu ignored Lucy and he continued to shake Wendy. "Come on! Rise and shine! Wakey wakey!" he said.

As Natsu tried waking Wendy up, Happy and Carla were starting to come around as well. Carla stood up while Happy still lied on the ground still feeling Wendy began to stir and then started to regain consciousness. Her eyes fluttered and then they snapped open. She squirmed out of Natsu's arms and then scooted back squealing with surprise and fear before cowering before him.

"I'm so sorry!" she squeaked. "I had to do it! I had no choice! I'm sorry!"

Lucy and Hibiki were confused not sure what Wendy was talking about. Natsu however knew what Wendy meant. She was no doubt still feeling guilty for reviving Jellal. Wendy trembled thinking that Natsu was angry with her, but then he went on his hands and knees and bowed his head to the ground in front of her.

"Never mind that! I'm willing to overlook that right now!" he said. "Right now, you gotta help Erza! She was bitten by a poisonous snake and she's in rough shape! Please! You gotta use your healing powers to save her!"

Wendy now stopped feeling so afraid and looked at Natsu a little surprised. Then she saw Erza in her current state. "She's been poisoned? Really?" she asked.

"Yes, and we need her help to fight the Oración Seis," said Hibiki. "As things stand now, we don't stand a chance in hell against them without her."

"Please Wendy," begged Lucy who also bowed her head. "We need her now more than ever! You're the only one who can help! Save her!"

"We're begging you," said Natsu who hadn't moved since Wendy had woken up.

Wendy looked at Natsu, then Lucy, and then at Erza. Then the look on her face changed filled with determination.

"Alright! I'll do it! I'll try to save her!" she said. "No wait! I will save her!

Natsu, Hibiki, and Lucy's faces lit up with hope as Wendy went over to Erza. She held out her hands just above her chest and they began to glow in a bright green color and the poison circulating on Erza's arm and neck slowly began to disappear. As she continued to cast her healing spell, she began to think about all the things Happy and Brain had told her about Jellal.

"I still can't believe about what I heard about Jellal," she thought. "The idea that he would be responsible for causing Erza so much pain in the past. It just can't be true..."

As confusing as that was, Wendy quickly put those thoughts out of her head as she continued to focus on healing Erza.

* * *

Meanwhile in another part of the Woodsea, Jellal was still walking through the forest searching for something. A few feet away following him undetected was Cobra. He had been following Jellal for a while now and he was feeling a little confused about him and all for one reason.

"I don't why, but I feel something's off with this guy," he thought. "I can't hear his inner voice at all. If I could, I wouldn't have to keep following him around spying like this."

Eventually Jellal with Cobra close behind him came to a part of the forest that was unknown to anyone. The area seemed to be closed off and was filled with strange rock formations with vines wrapped around everywhere. In the middle of it all was a large and strange tree. It was glowing in an eerie violet-blue color and had chains coming out of it like it was being restrained. Cobra was surprised to see this strange place.

"What is this place?" he asked himself. "I know the Woodsea like the back of my hand, but I've never seen this place before."

Then Jellal walked right up to the large tree and stopped right in front also looking up right at it. At first Cobra wondered why he would stop, but then his face brightened from realization.

"Wait... could this place be it?! Was Brain right all along?! Is this the place where Nirvana was sealed?!" he said to himself excitedly.

Jelall then walked up to the tree and placed his hand on the tree in the middle of its trunk. Then the tree suddenly began to glow and then exploded in a bright white and black light enveloping him and the area surrounding him. The whole area even began to tremble and shake. Then a strange ruin of a building of sorts began to rise up from the ground in the pillar of light growing higher and higher. Cobra looked at this sight with his eyes wide with awe and wore a grin that practically spread from ear to ear.

"At last! We've found it, our future!" he cried with glee. "After all of our hard work... it's finally paid off! We finally did it! Nirvana belongs to us!"

* * *

After a while, Wendy had finished the healing spelling getting rid of every trace of poison that was in Erza.

"There we go. I'm all done," she said wiping the sweat from her brow. "I managed to get all of the venom out of Erza. Now all we have to do is wait for her to wake up."

"Really?!" asked Natsu, Lucy, and Happy.

The three of them then looked at Erza who was now looking much better than before. Her face that was once twisted with pain was now calm and peaceful as she slept. Then the three of them all burst out cheering relieved that Erza was going to be alright.

"Hey Lucy! Give me five me!" whooped Natsu as Lucy high-fived him with earnest.

"Thank goodness! I was so worried" cried Lucy as she began to sob with joy.

"Come on Carla! Don't leave me hanging!" grinned Happy holding up his paw.

Carla was reluctant, but she gave Happy a high-five anyway. Natsu then turned to Wendy and gave her a high-five too.

"Thanks a lot Wendy!" he said grinning his toothy smile. "We owe you big time for this!"

"She'll probably not wake up for quite a while," said Wendy. "But when she wakes up, she should be back to normal."

"This is incredible," said Hibiki whose face was now just inches away from Erza's "She already looks so much better. So, this is the power of Sky Dragon Magic..."

"Back off pervert!" snapped Lucy. "You're way too close!"

Carla then cleared her throat getting everyone's attention. "Excuse me, but I need you all to listen to me," said Carla. "Now that your friend is healed, please don't make Wendy use her Sky Dragon Magic again. Using a healing spell like that takes up a lot of her magic power. She'll say that she's fine, but I can tell from the look on her face that she's exhausted."

"Carla. You've got it wrong. I'm fine," insisted Wendy. "I'm... just worried that's all."

"There's no reason to worry Wendy," reassured Hibiki. "All we have to do now is wait till Erza wakes up. Once she does, it'll be our opportunity to strike back."

"Yeah! You better watch out Oración Seis!" said Lucy brimming with confidence. "Cuz we're coming to give you the beating of a lifetime!"

"Aye! That's right!" chimed in Happy. "There's no way that we're going let you get Nirvana!"

Then suddenly a bright light shone through the trees and then with a mighty boom, a large pillar of black light erupted forth in the distance causing the five of them to look up in shock.

"What is that?!" cried Lucy.

"A giant pillar of black light..." murmured Wendy fearfully.

"No way!" cried Carla who had Happy cowering behind her. "What's going on here!?"

"It can't be...!" cried Hibiki who was staring at the pillar of light with horror. "That's Nirvana! Nirvana's been unsealed!"

"What!? You're kidding me?!" cried Happy. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I know that it's it," said Hibiki grimly. "It has to be it. What else could it be?"

"But how did it happen?!" wondered Lucy.

"What is that?!" cried Lucy.

"A giant pillar of black light..." murmured Wendy fearfully.

"No way!" cried Carla who had Happy cowering behind her. "What's going on here!?"

"It can't be...!" cried Hibiki who was staring at the pillar of light with horror. "That's Nirvana! Nirvana's been unsealed!"

"What!? You're kidding me?!" cried Happy. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I know that it's it," said Hibiki grimly. "It has to be it. What else could it be?"

"But how did it happen?!" wondered Lucy. "Don't tell me that the Oración Seis beat us to the punch!"

No one answered her. Natsu stared at the black light and his look of shock slowly started to turn to anger. He knew where the light was coming and he knew who was the cause of it and it wasn't the Oración Seis.

"That pillar of light... it's gotta be caused by Jellal!" he growled. "I know it is!"

The moment he said heard that name, Lucy couldn't help but flinch with shock and fear. She snapped her head towards Natsu and was just about to speak, but then Natsu bolted and took off running disappearing in the bushes heading towards the light.

"Natsu! Wait! Come back here!" she cried. "Don't just run off without telling anyone what's going on?! What are you talking about?! And what does Jellal have to do with this?!"

But it was no use. Natsu was gone.

"Come on! Don't just stand there!" said Hibiki. "We have to go have him!"

"But what was he talking about before with Jellal?!" asked Lucy. "Just what the heck is going on?!"

"I can explain everything to you later," said Happy. "Right now, we gotta hurry and go after him!

Then suddenly, Carla let out a startled shriek which caused everyone to look at her. Then they saw the reason why. Where they had placed Erza, they were shocked to find that Erza was gone.

"I don't believe this! Erza's gone!" cried Carla indignantly. "Of all the nerve! She could have at least thanked Wendy for saving her life!"

"Oh no! I think she might have overheard us talking about Jellal!" cried Happy worriedly. "If she did, then she must have gone after him!"

Wendy now looked horror stricken as she held the sides of her face and her eyes began filling with tears. "No... what have I done? This is my fault!" she wept. "I never should have healed him! It's because of me that Nirvana was found, Erza being gone, and Natsu running off! How could I have been so stupid?"

Hibiki then saw Wendy in her state and then did the unthinkable. He waved his hand and three screens of his Archive Magic appeared in front of Wendy. Then before Wendy could react, the screens blasted her sending her high into the air and knocking her out cold. Lucy, Happy, and Carla gaped at Hibiki in shock for what he had just did.

"Hibiki! What are you doing?!" cried Lucy.

"Who do you think you are striking a girl like that!?" demanded Carla.

"There's no time for that!" said Hibiki. "Let's move!"

He rushed over to Wendy lifted her up on his back piggyback style and then took off running towards the light with Lucy following close behind with Carla and Happy using their wings to follow them.

"I'm sorry if I scared you all like that," said Hibiki. "But don't worry, she's going to be fine. I only knocked her out that's all."

"But why did you do that?!" asked Lucy. "And why are we in such a hurry now?!"

"We have to catch up with Natsu and Erza," said Hibiki. "Just keep running towards that light. That's definitely where they're headed."

"And why should we listen to you?!" demanded Carla. "Especially since your actions were unacceptable! I understand Wendy's a bit of a whiner and quick to worry, but that was no reason to strike her down like that!"

"Yeah! Not cool dude!" added Happy.

Hibiki frowned as he looked to the ground feeling guilty. "I had to do it and there's a good reason for that," he said. "You see... it has to do with Nirvana. I know more about Nirvana than I let on. I just haven't been completely honest about it."

"You do?! Why didn't you tell us?!" asked Happy.

"I couldn't because of the nature of the magic," said Hibiki. "Even just telling you about it now is very risky and might even put us and everyone else in danger. That's why Master Bob only told me about it. Ren, Eve, and even Sir Ichiya don't even know about it."

"So what did he tell you about it?" asked Lucy. "What makes Nirvana so dangerous?"

"It's a very terrifying type of magic," said Hibiki gazing towards the light. "It alone has the ability to switch light and darkness."

"Light... and Darkness?" murmured Happy and Carla together.

"It can switch them?" wondered Lucy.

"Yes," continued Hibiki. "But that can only happen when it reaches its final stage. It starts by emitting that black light you see in front of us when it's unsealed. After that it then goes in search of those who are weak and then it'll switch anyone who is wavering on the brink between light and darkness to their opposite alignment. For example, if someone good is feeling down and out and has a lot of negative emotions will most likely fall to the dark side."

"So that's it! That's why you knocked out Wendy!" said Carla. "You did it so you could protect her from being switched!"

"Exactly. She was at high risk to becoming a target because of the guilt she was feeling," said Hibiki. "If I hadn't knocked her out when I did, she would have switched over to the dark side and turned against us."

Then Lucy realized something which made her worried. "Wait a second! Does anger count as a negative emotion? If it does... then does that mean Natsu's in danger of switching too?!"

"That's a tough call to make," said Hibiki. "It normally would be, but Natsu's anger is for Erza's sake so I don't know if you could classify it that way."

Happy was now feeling utterly confused. "Oh man! I don't understand any of this! What does this all mean?" he groaned.

"You're such an idiot," sighed Carla. "Let me put it in a way that even you would understand: Now that Nirvana's been activated, it has the power to those that are good to evil and those that are evil to good."

"I'm sorry that I didn't tell you all of this sooner," said Hibiki. "But I didn't want to put anyone at risk with the knowledge I had. That act of thinking about good and evil alone is enough to well up negative emotions and then before you know it, they've taken hold of you. 'If only that person didn't exist...' 'Who's to blame for this pain?' 'Why me?' These kinds of pessimistic thoughts are what attract Nirvana and allow it to take control of you."

"So if Nirvana fully activates all of us turn evil," said Lucy. "Including everyone else in the alliance."

"But hold on a minute. I've got a question," puzzled Happy. "If Nirvana has the power to good guys evil, doesn't it also mean that it has the power to turn evil guys good including the Oración Seis?"

"It is possible, but there's really no way to tell," said Hibiki. "And there's more. What really makes Nirvana so scary is that it can be controlled to do whatever its caster sees fit."

"What do you mean?" asked Lucy.

"For example, say that the caster used Nirvana against a guild," explained Hibiki. "They could immediately have the members start killing each other or make them go to war with another guild for no reason at all and they could do it effortlessly without having to lift a finger."

Lucy stared at Hibiki with her face paled slightly. "Seriously?!"

"Oh no! What if Natsu suddenly turns evil!?" cried Happy. Then as he imagined what Natsu would look like being evil, he sighed flatly. "Then again... I guess Natsu being evil wouldn't be any much different with how he normally acts."

"I guess good and evil are pointless when it comes to that buffoon," muttered Carla. "

"Never mind that now. We have hurry and catch up with Natsu and Erza. We're going to need them if we want to stop Nirvana," said Hibiki. "If we don't find them nor do we stop Nirvana, all the light guilds will be in danger of being wiped out!"

* * *

Meanwhile Gray and Sherry were still at the wreckage from the recent explosion with Gray search through the wreckage for Lyon. When the pillar of light appeared, the light was so bright that Gray had to shield his eyes as it erupted in the distance.

"What the hell is that!?" he cried. "That beam of light just came out of nowhere! Damn it all! Don't tell me that the Oración Seis has already found Nirvana!"

Gray then went back to looking for Lyon by hefting a large limb of a tree out of the way.

"I don't know what the heck is going on and that might be Nirvana, but I gotta find Lyon," he said to himself. "I know that he's around here somewhere."

Sherry didn't respond nor did she acknowledge the light. She was still in grief about what had happened to Lyon and contemplating about who was to blame for what had happened to Lyon.

"Someone's has to pay for what had happened to Lyon," she thought to herself. "But who? Whose fault is it that Lyon is gone?"

"Hey Lyon! Where are you!?" yelled Gray. "Say something! Anything! Can you hear me?! Lyon!"

No one replied. As Gray continued to search for Lyon, Sherry then for the first time in a while looked at Gray. As soon as she saw him, her eyes widened with realization.

"It's him..." she thought. "It's his fault. He's the one."

It was then that new feelings had begun to bubble inside her chest. Feelings of hatred and revenge. As she stared at Gray's back enough to bore holes to it, she then used her Marionette Attack: Wood Doll made of a fallen tree and some vines. The Wood Doll seemed to be even more demonic in appearance and Sherry's eyes were now filled with emotionless malice and she was then surrounded by the vines from her Wood Doll as they slowly crept towards the unsuspecting Gray. They crept closer and closer until they snapped forward and wrapped all over Gray's body.

"What the hell?!" cried Gray. "What's going on?!"

Gray was lifted high into the air as the vines tightened everywhere on his body especially around his neck. Gray struggled to get free, but he couldn't. The vines tightened around his neck cutting off the circulation and his oxygen. Unable to take it anymore and due to still being weak from the last fight, Gray then lost consciousness his body going limp. The Wood Doll then let go of him making his body fall helplessly to the ground with a thud. An evil grin crept on Sherry's face as she was feeling quite pleased with herself.

"I have avenged you my dear sweet Lyon," she said evilly. "Now who shall be my next victim? Another one of his friends? Or maybe I should just go after all the Fairy Tail members themselves? Yes... I'll do that. I'll go after every member of the Fairy Tail guild and kill them."

Sherry then walked away on the hunt with an evil intent in her eyes.

* * *

Back with Jura and Hoteye, the two were still locked in a battle between their respective Earth Magic. The area was surround by spikes made from the earth sprouting up from the ground due the powers the two had. It was like the earth was water and someone had recently thrown something in it and froze the waves as they formed. Then they saw the large dark pillar of light. Jura was shocked as was Hoteye, but his look of shock quickly changed into one of glee.

"What in the world is that light?!" cried Jura.

"That is Nirvana!" said Hoteye grinning. "It looks like it's finally been unsealed! Oh yeah!"

Jura looked back at Hoteye feeling his heart skip a beat. "No! It can't be...!"

"Come now, there's no need to get so worked up," said Hoteye. "Its main function hasn't been activated yet. All that light means is that the seal has been broken and it now belongs to us! And it also means that we're about to be rolling in dough! Oh yeah!" He then started to giggle madly feeling excited. "Yes! Money! Money! We're about to become incredibly wealthy!"

"Damn it... I don't have time to be playing around with this buffoon," Jura thought to himself as he scowled at Hoteye. "Then again stopping the Oración Seis is the sole purpose of our mission. So what should I do? Stay here and fight till he's defeated? Or go and stop Nirvana?"

Suddenly Hoteye stopped laughing and became still as a statue. His eyes went wide as he stood there beginning to tremble like a leaf. Then he screamed loudly holding his head in agony like something had taken control of his body.

"What the-! What's gotten into him this time?!" wondered Jura. "It's as if he's been possessed!"

Hoteye continued to scream in agony while holding his head. It seemed that he was fighting for control of his sanity.

"Money! Money! Money! Money!" he cried. "MONEY...!"

Jura took a step back in surprise bracing himself for whatever Hoteye was going to do, but then Hoteye stopped screaming. He also instead of having a malicious face with evil, it had changed into one of kindness and good.

"...is the root of all evil," he said sweetly. "Oh yeah."

Jura was so surprised that he nearly fell over just from the shock. "Wait! That wasn't what you were saying just a moment ago!" he exclaimed.

"Please let me explain Jura," said Hoteye. "You see, I've been desperately searching for my long-lost younger brother with whom I got separated from many years ago! I thought that if I accumulated massive amounts of money, I would be able to find him." His eyes then started to overflow with tears of emotion. "However, I now realize how foolish I was for thinking like that! Oh yeah! I had made a foolish mistake and that was wrong of me!"

Hoteye then embraced Jura in a tight hug while the man stood there completely baffled and shock as Hoteye continued to spill his emotions.

"And so Jura! Why don't we bury the hatchet, stop fighting, and become friends? Oh yeah!" continued Hoteye. "The world around us is overflowing with love! In fact, the word alone is filled to the brim with sweetness and compassion! Anything is possible as you have the power of love on your side! Oh yeah! Oh Jura! What do you say we work together to put an end to our former colleagues' plans? We must teach them the wonders as well as power of love, peace, and harmony! Oh yeah!"

Jura was still unsure about this sudden development, but he couldn't say no to someone who was willing to help stop Nirvana. The more help he needed the better, but he was still feeling a bit uncertain about whether he could trust him or not.

"Um... yeah. Sure," said Jura. "But... if you really intend to help me, I want you to tell me everything that you know about Nirvana."

"Wonderful!" said Hoteye as he wiped the tears from his eyes. "I will tell you everything I know about Nirvana as my way of tying our friendship! Oh yeah!"

Then Hoteye went on to tell Jura everything he knew about Nirvana including its primary function. As he explained, the two of started to head towards the light.

"So, let me get this straight," said Jura as Hoteye finished explaining. "You're telling me that Nirvana has the power to alter people's personalities to those it affects?"

"This is precisely correct. Oh yeah!" said Hoteye. "During the initial stage within its area of effect, the black light you're seeing right now can forcibly change anyone who is teetering between good and evil to the opposite of their personality. Oh yeah!"

"Then if what you're saying is true," said Jura. "That would mean that you were wavering between good and evil yourself."

"Yes. However, I never was truly evil to begin with," said Hoteye. "While on my quest for money I felt terrible and I could no longer convince myself that what I was doing was right. Oh yeah."

"I still find this a little hard to believe," said Jura a little skeptical. "Not to mention that it doesn't justify what you've done."

"That's understandable my dear Jura," said Hoteye smiling kindly. "However, I may have to disagree with you. When you've lost a loved one, you can justify anything. My one and only goal was to find my brother and for that I had to have heaps and heaps of money. In fact, when I first saw you my precious memories came bubbling to the surface."

Jura couldn't help but chuckle. "I take it that you're going to say that I look just like your long-lost brother?" he asked.

Hoteye smiled. "Actually, you look just like the potato that me and my brother split together."

"What?! A vegetable?!" exclaimed Jura. "Why that in particular?!"

"Never mind that!" said Hoteye. "We can talk more later. Right now, we must make haste towards Nirvana! Let us put an end to Brain and his minions' evil plans for the sake of love! Oh yeah!"

"Um... yeah. Sure," said Jura as he and Hoteye continued heading towards the black pillar of light.

* * *

Back with Ren and Eve, they were still searching for Wendy and Happy unaware that they had both been found thanks to Natsu. Then they saw the black pillar of light erupt forth from a distance far away from them.

"Look at that!" cried Eve pointing. "Do you have any idea what that is?"

"I don't know," said Ren. "I have no clue."

Then Ren saw something that caught his attention. A tree next to him was starting to have a strange black aura come out of it. Soon enough, the tree was covered with it.

"Hey Eve. Look at that," said Ren getting Eve's attention. "Some kind stuff is coming out of that tree. It's like that black light is sucking that stuff out of it."

"I know," said Eve. "But what could be causing it?" Then he realized something. "You don't think that it's being caused by Nirvana, do you?"

"It could be, but if that's the case, then that would mean that someone's gotten their hands on it!" said Ren. "The question is who got to it first? The Allied Forces or the Oración Seis?" Ren then put two fingers to his head using telepathy to contact Hibiki. "Hibiki? Do you know what's going on?" No one answered. "Hibiki? Do you read me? Please respond!" Ren tried again, but still no one replied.

"It must be because of that magic power," said Eve. "It has to be blocking our telepathy."

"So what should we do then?" asked Ren.

"I think we should split up," said Eve. "You go ahead towards that light and see what's going on. I'll continue to look for Wendy and Happy."

Ren nodded. "Sounds like a plan to me, but make sure you're careful Eve. There's no telling what to expect now."

Eve answered Ren with a nod and then the two went their separate ways to accomplish their respective missions.

* * *

Outside of the cave, Brain, Shark, and Midnight were outside when they saw the pillar of black light in the distance.

"So it's finally happened," said Midnight. "Right Father?"

"Yes... it has. There's no question," said Brain as he stared at the pillar with wonder and shock. "Nirvana... is finally ours."

"Congratulations are in order," said Midnight turning Brain. "I wish I would have time to celebrate with you, however I must go and eliminate those perky wizards now, so don't wait up for me. I'll take care of them before the midnight hour strikes. In the meantime, go to the light Father."

"That I shall," said Brain. He turned to his bodyguard. "Shark. You're with me. We both shall go to Nirvana and take control of it. I have a feeling that I'm going to need your protection."

"Understood Master," said Shark bowing.

He and Brain then walked out of the cave and disappeared into a green mist. Midnight however with his eyes gleaming set off towards the forest to hunt for his first victim.

* * *

 _Nirvana has been unsealed and everyone is heading towards to either claim it or stop it!_

 _Who will be the one to get there first?! Find out in the next chapter!_

 _Until then... Dragoman out!_


	44. Chapter 44 A Clash of Spirits!

_Another chapter for another story! XD Be careful it's a bit long!  
_

 _Enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter 45

A Clash of Spirits!

Natsu was racing through the woods running as fast as his legs could carry him towards the black pillar of light. Ever since he had seen Jellal, he wanted to beat the crud out of him, but now that Nirvana's been unsealed and that Erza was healed, he wanted to just downright erase him from existence. Especially after what he did to Erza.

For those of you that have no idea, a while back in the Tower of Heaven, Erza and Natsu were locked in a battle of survival to stop Jellal from using The Tower of Heaven to bring back the Black Wizard Zeref. Jellal had originally had intended to use Erza as the main body to resurrect Zeref, but was stopped by Natsu. However, Jellal proved to be too powerful for even Natsu to handle and Jellal was just about to kill him but then Erza stepped in shielding Natsu thinking that Jellal would stop his relentless assault. Sadly, he didn't and attacked Natsu along with Erza anyway with a powerful spell that threatened to kill them both. Then at the last minute, one of Erza's old childhood friends Simon stepped in and took the attack for the two and died in the process much to Erza's sorrow.

Seeing Simon sacrifice himself, Jellal laughed and mocked Simon for thinking that his sacrifice was pointless which in turn enrages Natsu causing him to eat a chunk of ethernano from the tower itself absorbing its magical properties to enter into a state of power called Dragon Force. The two then clash again and this time, Natsu came out victorious. However, ever since that fight had occurred Natsu and Erza held deep mental scars. Natsu especially for seeing Erza one of the strongest members in Fairy Tail cry in sadness and in anguish. He vowed right then there that he never wanted to see her that way ever again.

"I can't risk that guy running into Erza!" Natsu said to himself as he ran. "I have to stop and destroy him no matter what it takes! That way, he'll never hurt her again!"

Suddenly as Natsu continued to run straight toward the night, a mob of people barred his way. They were all were wearing clothes that made them seem like they were in a pit crew racing team with the helmets and tire irons included. This mob of people was a dark guild lead personally by Racer before his defeat called Harpuia.

"Hey look! There's one of those light guild bastards!" cried one. "Don't let him escape!"

"Don't worry! If that guy thinks he's gonna get past us, he's got another thing coming!" yelled another. "We'll show him what happens when you mess with the Harpuia guild! The guild personally led by Racer!"

"Let's get em!" yelled the third.

The Harpuia guild then came charging straight at Natsu with tire irons raised, but Natsu glared not intimidated in the slightest.

"Get out of my way!" he roared.

He then unleashed a powerful Fire Dragon Wing Attack hitting the all the Harpuia guild members and knocking them all out at the same time. He was like a wild elephant bashing through a wall. As he left unconscious bodies and some fire behind him, Natsu continued running on his manhunt for Jellal.

"I won't let that get anywhere near Erza," he screamed. "I'll burn that bastard to a crisp!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Eve was racing through the forest jumping from tree to tree still in search of the base where the Oración Seis were located. So far, he had yet to locate it, but wasn't about to give up. He then stopped by a tree to survey the area to see if he could get a better look.

"Come on... I know that base has to be around here somewhere," he said to himself. "But where?"

He then jumped off the tree and decided to search on foot for any clues, but then...

"Well, well, well. Looks like I found my first prey," said a

Eve immediately turned around behind him and he saw he had an unwelcome guest standing before him. An unwelcome guest named Midnight. When Eve saw him, he immediately felt his heart leap from the sight of him.

"No way... it's one of the Oración Seis," he said with slight fear. "Oh no... I can't fight this guy by myself... then again... this could be my opportunity. If I beat this guy, then maybe he can tell me where his base is."

Midnight stood there staring at Eve daring him to make a move. Then Eve attacked using one of his spells.

"TOTAL WHITE OUT!"

Eve then unleashed the same blizzard spell he used to take out the Black Unicorn guild before. A blizzard once more raged all throughout the current area covering the place with snow. When the blizzard died down, Eve was expected the attack to do at least some damage, but was wrong. Midnight still stood completely unfazed by the attack in the middle of a circle in the snow where the ground still showed. It was as if he put up a barrier to protect himself.

"Is that really all you got?" he asked.

Eve clicked his tongue as he dashed toward Midnight and then used another spell to attack.

"WHITE FURY!"

He put his left arm on his right pointing his open hand at Midnight, then released a blast of snow at Midnight at point blank. However, to Eve's shock instead of hitting him, his spell for some reason went around Midnight harmlessly hitting the area behind him.

"No way!" cried Eve.

Then Midnight gave Eve a punch square on his cheek sending him reeling back and falling flat on his rear on the ground. As Eve recovered from the blow, he looked back at Midnight who now was slowly walking towards him like a predator stalking its prey. Now feeling terrified, Eve immediately broke into a run and leaped into a tree hoping to get away from him. Midnight watched as Eve ran away with a neutral expression, but his eyes gave off a predatory gleam.

"And now... the hunt begins..." he said

Eve leaped from tree to tree hoping to at least gain some distance away from Midnight, but he could feel his frightening enemy's presence from behind him. As he jumped towards the ground, he used his White Fury spell into the bushes behind him. The blast of snow hit the bushes but there was nothing there. Now feeling more afraid than before, Eve blasted the bushes with his White Fury spell again and leaped into the air looking back then he felt something hit him square in the back hard making him cry in pain. He fell straight towards the ground crashing face first and then tumbled and slid along the ground until he scorpioned and went flat on the ground. Midnight then appeared standing above Eve.

"One down and seven to go," he said as he stalked the now defeated Eve.

"Damn it... this is crazy," murmured Eve. "How is he so strong?! My magic couldn't even touch him!"

"Hey. You still alive down there?" asked Midnight. "That's good because now I can take my sweet time with you. After all, I do enjoy watching my prey suffer."

The forest was even filled with Eve's screams of pain and horror as Midnight went on to finish him off.

* * *

Natsu was still running through the Woodsea on his manhunt for Jellal. So far, he didn't any sign of him which in turn made him frustrated.

"Come Jellal you bastard! Where are you?!" he roared as he sprinted. "I swear as soon as I see you, I'm gonna beat the crud of you! I'll make sure that you never hurt Erza again!"

He soon reached a river and then a familiar scent wafted in his nose making him stop and sniff around.

"Wait a sec... I know this scent," said Natsu as he sniffed around to try and find the source. Then he saw something in the river below him. There floating in the water close to the edge was an unconscious Gray. Upon seeing him, Natsu slid down and then waded into the water went over to him.

"Gray! What are you doing here?" he asked. "This isn't exactly the place to take a nap. By the way, did you take care of that Racer guy?"

Gray didn't respond or answer. He just continued to float in the water not moving. Natsu was now feeling worried, however he looked back at the light. He knew that he had to find Jellal before he could meet Erza, but he also knew that taking care of Gray came first. He bent over and helped Gray to his feet shaking him.

"Come Gray. Wake up," said Natsu. "I'm in a bit of a hurry right now, so you need to wake up. Come on!"

Then Gray began to stir and open his eyes as he regained conscious. Natsu smiled feeling a little relieved, but that smile quickly disappeared for Gray looked at Natsu wearing an expression he never had seen him wear before. A dark and sinister smile.

"Um... are you feeling OK dude?" asked Natsu.

Suddenly Gray pulled on a rope that was beside him and Natsu felt the ground in the water tremble under his feet and then rise from below until it floated up to the surface. It was then that Natsu realized that he was standing on one of his major weaknesses. A raft which was a mode of transportation.

"We're on a raft?! When the hell you hide that down there?!" he cried.

Then Natsu immediately began to feel nauseous as the raft began to float down the stream. He was unsteady on his feet and he felt himself about to throw up.

"Looks like I got you," smirked Gray. "Poor little Natsu feeling sick over a simple raft? Your motion sickness will be the death of you. Talk about pathetic. To be perfectly honest, I never thought that you'd be such a pushover."

"Gray... what gives?" groaned Natsu trying to shake off his sickness. "What... are you doing?"

"Shut it!" snapped Gray as he stomped on Natsu's head. "I'm tired of having to deal with a loser like you. After all fire and ice don't mix so I think it's time we end this little partnership of ours."

Gray using his magic created a lance of ice raised it up aiming right for Natsu's back prepared to spear him. Natsu tried to get up, but he was too weak and sick to move.

"This is goodbye you slanty-eyed motion sickness loser!" crowed Gray as he brought down his lance.

Suddenly an arrow pierced Gray's lance shattering it saving Natsu just in time. Gray glared snapping his head towards the direction the arrow came from.

"All right! Who's there?!" he yelled as he unleashed his Ice Make Lance spell.

His attack shot out towards the direction the arrow came from, but then more arrows shot out taking out every one of the lances that Gray unleashed. He then saw the cause of it. There standing the bank of the river was Lucy, Hibiki who was now propping Wendy nest to a tree, Carla, Happy, and a man that was tall and wearing a horse costume with a green shirt with yellow trims and red and yellow pair of striped pants and purple frills with a bow and arrow which one of Lucy's Celstial Spirits, Sagittarius. The raft also floated right to a tree in the water making it come to a complete stop.

"Just what do you think you're doing Gray?!" demanded Lucy.

"Yeah! It's us! Your friends!" said Happy.

"Good thing I was here to foil his plans," said Sagittarius. "Also... hello."

"L-lucy. Nice save..." groaned Natsu happy to see his friends, but his puffed out as he was about to puke again.

"Could you not say my name when you're about to blow chunks?!" snapped Lucy. "And how the heck are you still sick even when it's not moving?!"

Natsu responded with a groan as he tried his best to stop himself from puking.

"What's the matter with you Gray?!" cried Happy. "I know that you and Natsu fight all the time, but this is little much even for you! However, if Natsu happened to steal your fish then you're completely justified!"

"That's still a bit too far Happy!" chided Lucy.

"Geez. Can you guys be any more annoying?" scoffed Gray as he flashed a twisted and evil smile. "How about you all mind your own business? I'll deal with the rest of you once I'm done with Natsu, so why don't you all shut up and wait your turn."

Lucy and Happy gasped a bit taken back by what Gray said and how evil he was acting.

"Oh no! Don't tell me that Nirvana has already turned someone to the dark side?!" exclaimed Lucy.

"Never mind that! Natsu needs help!" cried Happy. "Don't worry buddy! I'm coming to help you!"

The small blue cat then spread his wings and tried to fly over to Natsu to help him, but then Gray froze him solid in a block of ice preventing him making him fall to the ground with a thud.

"Tom cat!" cried Carla.

"What did you do that for?! That's no way to treat your friends!" said Lucy indignantly.

"Happy may be able to fly, but he can carry only one person," said Gray. "Not to mention that he's has no combat experience. That's all the data Gray has on the furrball."

Lucy was now puzzled. "What the heck are you talking about Gray? Pull yourself together!" she said.

Gray then looked at Lucy staring at her as if he was analyzing her. "Lucy Heartfilia. Gray's got loads of info on her," he said. "A newcomer to Fairy Tail and quite easy on the eyes. I believe he has a thing for her."

Lucy cheeks flushed from embarrassment as steam puffed out from her head. "Wh-what the-! I don't think I should be hearing this!"

"She also has a tendency of being as short tempered as Erza, but she has a pure heart even though he tries to hide it," continued Gray. "Oh? She's also a Celestial Wizard too? Interesting!"

Gray then attacked Lucy using his Ice Make: Saucer making a large spinning disc out of ice and fired it at Lucy, but luckily Hibiki was able making a barrier of screens using his Archive magic blocked the attack saving Lucy. Hibiki stared at Gray as he then realized.

"No... that's not him. It's not the real Gray," he said to himself. "You can cut the act now!" he called to Gray. "I can tell you're an imposter, so you can drop the act!"

"What do you mean Hibiki?" asked Lucy. "He's right there isn't he?"

Gray then fixed his eyes on Hibiki. "Accessing info on Hibiki," he said. "He's a member of Blue Pegasus and he's a big player. No other information is available. Talk about a waste of time."

"We're wasting our time with this fool!" said Carla impatiently. "Let's hurry up and take him out so we can get to Nirvana already!"

Lucy was now feeling more confused than ever. Then she when heard Carla mention Nirvana, she remembered what Hibiki had told her before about Nirvana's effects began to realize what Hibiki said was true.

"That's right!" she thought. "Nirvana only affects and switches those who are wavering between good and evil and Gray is about is good as good can get! So, there's no way his emotions could sway like that!"

"Who the heck are you?" she glared at Gray. "Answer us!"

Gray then smirked and began chuckle evilly. "Piri Piri." he said ominously.

And then in a puff of smoke the imposter of Gray disappeared and to Lucy's surprise, the being that was once Gray was now an exact copy of herself just like before.

"Wait a second! That's me!" she squeaked.

"You've got to be kidding," said Hibiki. "You must not be very smart if you think you can fool us by turning into Lucy. We know that you're not her, so just show us your true form already."

"Oh, I'll show you alright," the fake Lucy said. "And I'm pretty sure that you'll find that I'm every bit as real as that lousy bimbo."

The fake Lucy grabbed her top and pulled it up flashing her breasts right in front of them. Lucy screamed in terror and embarrassment while Hibiki and Sagittarius' eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. Carla however was irked and disgusted by the two boys' reaction.

"Men," she scoffed. "Absolutely pathetic."

Natsu who was still on his raft groaned as he resisted another bile of puke in his throat. "W-wobbling..."

"Yes indeed!" said Hibiki and Sagittarius grinned pervily. "And they're real too!"

"I hate both of you!" shrieked Lucy as she gave both men a sharp and hard kick to the side of their heads.

"Don't blame them for your shameless act!" said Carla huffily. "Honestly, think about what kind of example you're setting for Wendy, you floozy!"

"But that's not me! I mean it is, but it's isn't!" said Lucy trying to explain while pointing at the imposter, but in the end, she ended up bursting into comedic tears. "Why does this kind of stuff always happen to me anyway?! It makes no sense!" she sobbed.

"I'm sorry to say this, but it's only going to get worse from here," said the fake Lucy smirking. "I not only look like you, but also know everything about you. From the exact number and what keys you're carrying to your memories as well. I gotta say I'm impressed. You have quite the number of keys and you had an audience with the Celestial Spirit King. Makes me wonder how someone with little magic power ever got the honor. Well whatever it doesn't matter." She turned to Sagittarius. "Hey Sagittarius. Do me a favor and take them out if you would."

Sagittarius immediately pointed his arrow and fired at Lucy and Hibiki. Lucy was able to dodge in the knick of time, but Hibiki wasn't so lucky. As he tried to put up his barrier to protect himself, an arrow pierced right on his left shoulder sending him falling to the ground.

"Sagittarius what are you doing?!" cried Lucy.

"I thought you only took orders from Lucy you traitorous horse!" exclaimed Carla.

"It's... not what you think!" said Sagittarius as he tried to resist. "I didn't mean to... do that...! My body... is acting on its own!"

Lucy then rushed to Hibiki's side and helped him to his feet. "Just hang in there Hibiki," she said. "You're going to be OK." She then turned to her doppelganger. "You! You were able to control Sagittarius just now! How?!"

"Isn't it obvious?" said the fake Lucy grinning. "I'm an exact copy of you which means since your spirits obey you, they have to obey me too."

"Miss Lucy... Sir Hibiki...please forgive me," said Sagittarius as he prepared to fire another barrage of arrows. "I'm trying to resist as much... as I can, but... I can't hold it!"

He then fired another barrage of arrows, but Hibiki erected another barrier shielding himself and Lucy just in time.

"Carla! Grab Wendy and get her out of here!" cried Lucy. "It's too dangerous for her here!"

"I was waiting for you to say that!" said Carla as she did what she was told. "In fact, I was planning on doing that from the start!"

As soon as she had a hold of Wendy, she spread her wings and rocketed to the sky. When she was sure that Carla and Wendy were out of danger, Lucy carried Hibiki out of the way, so he could rest. Then she got out a gold key which was what she used to summon Sagittarius as he she turned him.

"I'm gonna close your gate for a while," she said. "I know it's not your fault, so go ahead and take a break."

"That I shall milady," said Sagittarius as he saluted. "I only regret that I was unable to help aid you any further. Hello!"

And with that Sagittarius vanished into thin air as he disappeared into the Celestial World. The fake Lucy smirked as she pulled out a golden key of her own just like the original Lucy had.

"I was hoping you'd do that," she said. "Now open. Gate of the Archer! Sagittarius!"

In a burst of magic power and a puff of smoke, Sagittarius reappeared on next to the fake Lucy much to Lucy's shock and surprise.

"You called Lady Lucy?" asked the horse spirit. "I'm happy to jump back into the fray! Hello!" Then he realized that it wasn't the original Lucy that summoned him. "Wait a moment! What is the meaning of this?!" he demanded the fake Lucy.

"All you need to know is that I'm the one who summoned you," said the fake Lucy sweetly. "So now you're my owner and you have to follow my orders."

"That may be so, but I will not betray my charge no matter what you say!" said Sagittarius defiantly.

The fake Lucy looked up and could still see Carla and Wendy from above. "Let's test that shall we?" she smiled. "Shoot down that cat up there. Knock her out of the sky!"

"What?! I cannot do that!" said Sagittarius. "I refuse!"

The fake Lucy looked at Sagittarius giving him the evil eye glare. "What did you say? Are you disobeying an order from your master?" she asked angrily.

"Indeed! You may share her appearance as well as her abilities, but you are not my lady!" said Sagittarius still defiant. "So, I shall not obey!" He tried as hard as he could to resist the fake Lucy's command, but his body went against him as he readied another arrow aiming right at Carla from above. "My lady... Quickly...! Send me back! Before...it's too late!"

"Alright then!" nodded Lucy. "Closing Gate of the Archer!"

She waved Sagittarius' key in an attempt to close his gate, but nothing happened. The fake Lucy laughed as she made a Akanbe face mocking her.

"Hey stupid! Did you forget already?" she taunted. "I was the one who summoned horse face, so I'm the only one who can force him back." She turned to back to Sagittarius. "Now hurry up and shoot that cat! I don't got all day!"

Sagittarius took aim and was just about to shoot Carla down, but then someone came walking from the other side of the bank. That someone turned out to be Angel.

"Now, now. That's enough," she said. "Nirvana's been found so there's no need spend any more access energy on this brat."

"As you wish ma'am," said the fake Lucy.

Then in a puff of smoke the fake Lucy then revealed her true form which was Gemi and Mini the Gemini Celestial Spirit twins. At the same time, Sagittarius vanished returning to the Celestial World.

"Hello there Lucy," greeted Angel. "Angel from the Oración Seis has arrived! You've heard of angels from tales, so how does it feel to gaze upon one?"

"I think I'd much rather be blind lady!" Lucy said. "And I take it that those two belong to you?"

"Yes. My pets have the ability to copy a person's appearance, abilities, and even their thoughts," said Angel. "You know them as Gemini, the celestial spirit twins. I guess that makes us twins as well, since I too am a celestial wizard."

"You're kidding me! You're a celestial wizard like me?!" scowled Lucy. "That makes me sick! Now I really want to take you out!"

"Oh really?" smirked Angel. "You don't stand a chance against me, but you think you can take me on, go ahead and try."

Lucy scowled as she bravely prepared to fight. However, the odds were pretty stacked against her.

"I'm pretty confident that I won't fall to the dark side and I doubt Ms. Oración Seis Psycho Swan will change to the good side anytime soon, so I don't have to worry about Nirvana," she thought. "Hibiki's in pretty rough shape and Natsu is out for the count too, which means it's up to me. And we just so happen to be by a river and that's filled with water which means I can use Aquarius."

"Your keys would make a lovely addition to my collection," said Angel. "So, hand them over now if you don't want to get hurt."

"Not gonna happen!" said Lucy as she whipped out another gold key and put it in the water. "Open! Gate of the Water Bearer! Aquarius!"

The water burst into a large spout and from it, a mermaid emerged. She had a long blue tail with hair to match along with her pupiless eyes, a revealing dark blue bikini top, a gold headband, three piercings on the side of her tail, and a belt on her waist, and she was also carrying a sky-blue urn. She also had a blue tattoo of the Aquarius symbol on her collarbone.

"Alright Aquarius! Wipe her out!" commanded Lucy. "I don't care if you take me with me out with her!"

"I was already planning to that from the get go," Aquarius replied gruffly as water began to gush forth from her urn. "In fact, it's time for all of ya to go flying!"

"Hey! Take it easy!" squeaked Lucy now feeling a little frightened. "What did I ever do to you?!"

Aquarius was about ready to attack, but Angel smirked completely calm. She closed Gemini's gate making the twins disappear and then she pulled out another gold key preparing to summon another spirit.

"Open. Gate of the Scorpion. Scorpio."

Ina burst of light, another spirit appeared before Lucy and Aquarius. He was a tall dark-skinned man with red and white hair on both sides on his head, bare chested with a red flower with gold trims around his neck, wore black shorts with a red sheet and a belt with the symbol of Scorpio around his waist, and had bandages wrapped around his arms and legs. The biggest feature on this man was a large gun that was shaped like a scorpion's tail attached to him.

"Oh yeah!" he said as he posed folding his ring and middle fingers leaving his index and pinky extended. "I was born to be wicked!"

The moment Aquarius saw this spirit, her attitude completely did a one eighty and she jumped into the arms of Scorpio. "Scorpio! Honey bunches of hunk! Oh, how I missed you my love muffin!"

"Well what do you know? It's my little mermaid of delight, Aquarius," smiled Scorpio. "Long time, no see, girl!"

"Honey?! Love Muffin?!" exclaimed Lucy. "Just a minute! Don't tell me... don't tell me that he's..."

"Yup! He's my boyfriend," said Aquarius sweetly as she lovingly grinned from ear to ear.

Scorpio then looked at Lucy and flashed a cool smile. "Well... so you're my blue bombshell's wizard huh? Nice to meet ya! Meeting you like this is absolutely wicked."

Lucy's jaw hung open and her eyes bugged out deeply shocked. "This is crazy!" she cried. "What has she told you and why is she acting that way?!"

Aquarius then glared daggers at Lucy causing her cringe with fear. "Look blondie," she growled threateningly. "If you wanna keep on breathing, don't even think about embarrassing me in front of my Scorpio. Got it?"

Lucy answered nodding her head furiously. Then Aquarius sweetly looked back at Scorpio. "Say love muffin, wanna go out for dinner? Just the two of us?" she asked.

"Sound wicked!" said Scorpio. "I know a restaurant that's got an aurora-filled view and you'll just love it!" He turned to Angel. "Hey Angel, hope you don't mind but I'm gonna take my girl on a night on the town. You got this right?"

"Sure, I do," smiled Angel. "Have fun!"

"No wait! Come back here!" cried Lucy. "We're in the middle of a fight!"

It was no use. Aquarius and Scorpio had disappeared back to the Celestial World to go on their hot date. Lucy fell to her knees baffled not believing or understanding what had just happened. That however was short lived as Angel walked up to her and gave her a sharp kill right to her head knocking the ribbon off her head and she fell into the water.

"How pathetic," she said. "A novice like you not being able to understand how Celestial Spirits can relate hasn't got a chance of beating me. You might as well give up especially since I've taken your most powerful spirit out of the picture."

Lucy then resurfaced from the water holding up another gold key. "You may have taken out Aquarius, but there's one other powerhouse I can call!" she said. "Open! Gate of the Lion! Loke!"

At Lucy's command another Celestial Spirit came forth. This time it was a young man with spiky orange hair with blue glasses and wore a black suit. To Lucy he was known as Loke, but to everyone else he was one of the strongest spirits in the Zodiac, Leo.

"Hey there Lucy! Your handsome prince has arrived," said Loke.

"Enough with the flirting!" said Lucy. "You have to help me beat this chick! If you don't, the whole guild will be danger!"

"Sound simple enough," said Loke cracking his knuckles. "Just leave it to me."

Angel giggled upon seeing Loke not intimidated. "You just don't learn, do you? Allow me to give you another lesson about how important it is to relate to spirits," she said, as she took about another gold key. "Open. Gate of the Ram! Aries!"

Angel then summoned another spirit which was a young girl with pink hair, a pair of brown twisted horns of her head, and wore a white dress tube made of white wool. The moment Lucy and Loke saw this spirit, they were shocked. Even Hibiki who was watching the fight from afar was shocked to see the spirit as well.

You see, Aries and Loke were lifelong friends, but belonged to an abusive wizard named Karen Lilica who worked for the Blue Pegasus guild. She would bully Aries every chance she had and Loke at times would have to stand up for her. One day, Loke couldn't take it anymore and decided to take manners into his own hands by taking Aries' place demanding that she terminate their contracts. Karen naturally refused, so Loke stayed in the human world to prevent Karen from summoning anymore spirits. However, this would lead to Karen's demise for right after a few months, she went on a mission and died because of her unable to use her magic. Not only that, but Aries' key had gone missing since then until now. Not only that, but she was also Hibiki's lover.

"No way... It can't be..." he murmured. "But... what is she doing here?! That's one of Karen's spirits! "

"Aries..." said Loke his eyes never leaving the spirit standing before him.

"I'm so sorry Loke," said Aries timidly. "I hope you can forgive me for meeting you like this."

"How do you have one of Karen's spirits?!" Lucy demanded Aries.

"Isn't it obvious? I took it from her after I killed her," said Angel as she patted Aries on the head. "And you know what they say, to the victor go the spoils. It was a shame though. She tried to open two gates at once even though she barely had the energy to stand. She practically handed her keys to me on a silver platter, so killing her was easy. In fact, I've killed so many celestial wizards and taken their keys that I stopped counting and you're going to be next Lucy. You'll become another stone on the road of misery I've paved."

Hibiki was now beside himself with sadness as tears streamed down his face having to have heard everything Angel said.

"Karen... you died... because of this woman?" he thought as he wept. "How? How could have fallen to someone like her?" Then Hibiki's sadness slowly began to turn into hate as he looked right at Karen's murderer. "This woman... one of her own kind... Angel... a celestial wizard... took the love of my life away! I hate them! I hate them all!" Hibiki then realized what he was saying and quickly stopped himself. "No! Stop it! This is exactly the kind of thinking that will make Nirvana change me! I can't give in to hatred like this! I've got to stop thinking about it!"

Lucy and Loke glared at Angel disgusted at her for what she had just told them. Then Lucy looked at Aries and her angry glare slowly changed into sympathy.

"I can't believe this... You get to meet again after all these years and you're forced to fight each other?" she said feeling guilty. "No. I won't do it. I won't force you to go through with this Loke."

She pulled out Loke's key and was just about to close his gate and send him back, but then Loke stopped her by grabbing her hand.

"I appreciate your concern Lucy," he said as his fist began to glow in a bright light. "But I don't need you to protect me. It's true that Aries and I were once friends, but we both have different owners now and that makes us enemies. It's a celestial spirit's duty to fight for the sake of our owners no matter what the circumstances."

"That's right," said Aries as she conjured a cloud of pink wool in her hands. "Even if we are indebted to our opponents, we must defeat the enemy for the sake of our masters. Good or evil."

"Because for a celestial spirit... it's a matter of pride!" the two at the same time as they both came at each other beginning their battle.

All Lucy could do was watch shaking with sorrow while Angel watched with an amused expression from this turn of events.

"Well what do you know. They're actually fighting," she said. "I didn't really expect this, but who am I to stop the show?"

Loke threw a straight punch forcing Aries to and move away to try and gain distance, but Loke managed to tail her and hit her with another punch sending her back. Aries retaliated by unleashing a huge cloud of pink wool at Loke hoping to trap him, but Loke leaped out of the way avoiding it. Aries then extended her arm and used one of her spells seeing that Loke was open.

"WOOL BOMB!"

A large spiral of pink wool gushed out surrounding Loke, but he punched right through it using his fists. Aries then caught him by surprise by appearing from behind with a fist cloaked in pink wool. Loke retaliated with a fist of light and the two punches collided forcing the two into a stalemate as the gazed grimly at each other.

As the two continued their fight, Lucy now felt more sorrowful than before. She couldn't stand to see two fighting like this. To her this wasn't right. This felt completely wrong.

"Please stop it! Both of you!" she cried as her eyes began filling with tears. "Friends shouldn't have to fight like this! I'm begging you to stop!"

Angel on the other hand was now getting a little worried. "Hmm. She's actually putting up a good fight," she said to herself. "Then again she's up against the leader of the Zodiac Spirits who is also a master of close combat." She thought, and she thought about what she should do about this, until she had an idea. She then pulled out a silver key and she summoned another spirit. "Open. Gate of the Chisel! Caelum!"

Another spirit the appeared next to her. It was a metallic and robotic sphere with a halo on top of it.

"Listen up Caelum," said Angel. "I've got some targets for you. The moment you see Aries stop Leo, I want you to do what you do best."

Obeying her command, Caelum transformed into a large cannon and took aim. It charged a large amount of energy and then unleashed a powerful green energy heading right for Loke and Aries. Lucy gasped in horror as the beam pierced right through not only Aries but Loke as well right on their abdomens. Angel laughed sadistically as Loke and Aries slowly began to fade away back the Celestial World due to their wounds.

"Now that's entertainment!" she crowed. "Absolutely perfect!"

"Damn it all..." groaned Loke as he slowly began to fade away. "I'm sorry Lucy... I failed... And I'm sorry Aries... I failed you too..."

"It's alright..." said Aries. Her eyes were filled with tears, but at the same time she was smiling. "Besides... there's no reason to be sad... you have a great owner... that cares about you... I just wish I was so lucky..."

Aries and Loke eventually faded completely leaving a horrified and stunned Lucy as a loss for words for what had just happened.

"You see that? That is how you pull of multiple gates Lucy," said Angel. "Looks your most powerful spirit will be out of commission for a while."

Lucy's hands were now clenched into fists as she now had an angry snarl on her face with her eyes filled with angry tears. "You disgust me," he spoke in a low and angry voice.

"Oh, what are you crying for?" asked Angel coolly. "It's not like they actually die or anything, so what's the point?"

"But they do feel pain!" snapped Lucy. "They have feelings! They're not mindless dolls for you to play with! You call yourself a Celestial Wizard?! A real one should always respect their spirits!"

Angel scoffed not caring in the slightest about what Lucy said. Lucy then whipped out another key summoning her fourth Celestial Spirit in a row.

"Open! Gate of the Golden Bull! Taurus!"

At her call yet another Celestial Spirit came forth. He was a tall muscular humanoid bull that was black and white like a cow, had a cowbell around his neck, wore a black speedo with a red studded belt with dark boots, and wielded a large double-bladed ax. At the same time, Angel not impressed pulled out Gemini's key and summoned forth the twins once again in a puff of smoke. Caelum also transformed again. This time into a sword that was like its original form, but had a long blade with a halo around it and a black handle on the bottom.

"Making Lucy cry is the worst moo-ve you've ever made," snarled Taurus. "Get ready for the beat down of your life!"

Then suddenly Gemini transformed into Lucy once again and flirtatiously stuck out her butt giving Taurus a sexy wink making large cow blink in surprise.

"Come and get some you Kobe Beef stud," she said winking.

Taurus being the pervert that he has immediately threw his ax away and came dashing towards Gemini like a madman much to Lucy's disgust and horror. "I'm in the mood for some rump roast!" he cried.

The next thing Taurus knew, Gemini grabbed Caelum by the handle and then swung it like a bat sending Taurus flying into the sky. "And it's outta here!" she crowed.

"No! Taurus!" cried Lucy as yet another one of her spirits was sent back to the Celestial World. Then she suddenly felt weak causing her to fall to her knees into the water with her hands holding her up.

"Looks like you're out of magic power," said Angel. "That's what you get for summoning one after another when you had so little magic power to begin with. Face it darling, you're simply outgunned and outmatched. I'm way more powerful than a mere novice like you."

"No... way... muttered Lucy weakly as she tried to get up.

Gemini then went on the attack by ruthlessly beating Lucy by either kicking or hitting her herself or hitting her with Caelum in her hand. Angel chuckled to herself seeing Lucy getting knocked around and beaten.

"You poor thing. You really shouldn't beat yourself up over the matter!" she said as she broke into a fit of laughter from her own joke. "I think she needs more pain Gemini"

Hibiki who was still on the sidelines watching the fight had begun to lose himself to his own negative thoughts due to Nirvana. He eyes were a little hazy and he smiled evilly as he seemed to agree with what Angel said. "More... pain..." he chuckled darkly.

Lucy struggled as she tried to get back up on her feet, but she fell back to her knees due to her body now being battered and bruised. However, she glared at Angel her eyes still holding a fire of not giving up in them.

"What's up with that look?" asked Angel not intimidated. "It's starting to annoy me, so quit staring."

"Release Aries from her contract," said Lucy.

Angel raised a brow as she scowled. "You must be joking."

"Karen tormented, tortured, and broke her almost on daily basis," continued Lucy as she made it to her feet. "She's suffered so much and she deserves to be happy, but that won't happen unless she's free."

Gemini was surprised from Lucy's words and for caring so much about Aries, but that surprise was quickly shut out as she swatted Lucy again with Caelum sending her to a small island in the river hard.

"What do we say when we want something from someone Lucy?" Angel asked mocking her. "I'm sure you can remember your manners."

Lucy now holding her arm in pain looked at the two. "Please... let her go...I'm begging you" she begged her eyes filling with tears. "I... just want Loke and Aries to be together... and we Celestial Wizards can make that happen for them. Do what you want with me... but please release Aries from her contract so she can be happy!"

"For free?" asked Angel now feeling amused.

"You can have anything you want except for my spirits!" cried Lucy. "You can even take my own life if you want! Just let her go!"

Angel smiled sadistically as her face darkened. "My, my, how generous of you," she smirked. "Finish and collect for me!"

Gemini raised Caelum and prepared to deliver the finishing blow and Lucy shut her eyes and waited for the blow to finish her, but for some reason the blow never came. Lucy opened her eyes and saw that Gemini wasn't moving. Angel was surprised.

"What are you waiting for Gemini?! Finish her!" she ordered.

Gemini didn't move. "I... I hear a strange voice... inside my head..." she said. Then due to her being a copy of Lucy as well as seeing Lucy beg Angel to release Aries from her contract, all of Lucy's memories began to pop up inside her head. From when she was a little girl to when she stood before the Celestial Spirit King.

 _"I love celestial spirits so much Mama. Can you teach me how to summon them?"_

 _"Celestial Spirits aren't my shields! They're my friends!"_

 _"I can't just stand by while my friend disappears right before my eyes!"_

Gemini seeing these memories of Lucy caring for her spirits felt tears stream down her face as she felt overwhelmed and moved with emotion. "I can't do it..." she wept. "She loves us... she cares about us... she's willing to give up her life for us... Lucy loves Celestial Spirits from the bottom of her heart... we envy her spirits..."

Lucy was surprised as was Angel, but Angel's surprise was quickly replaced with anger.

"Begone!" she snapped as she pulled out and swiped Gemini's key making Gemini vanish back to the Celestial World leaving Caelum floating. She clenched the key and growled in frustration. "You'll pay for disobeying me!" she growled.

Lucy sighed with relief thinking that she was safe, but that relief was short lived. Right then she left a pair of hands wrap around her neck making her freeze with terror. She knew who those hands belonged to.

"H-hibiki?" Lucy asked slowly.

Angel then shrieked with laughter. "No way! Your friend switched sides in the middle of the fight!"

Lucy began to tremble with terror thinking that Hibiki would choke her to death, but then Hibiki's hands moved to her shoulders and he heard Hibiki spoke directly to her ear.

"It's OK Lucy. I'm fine," he said. "It was close, but I almost fell to the dark side. It was thanks to your words for loving your spirits that snapped me out of it." He then moved his hands to Lucy's head as they began to glow with magic power. "Get ready. I'm going to use my Archive magic to give you the knowledge of a high-leveled spell to beat this girl. This is a one-shot deal... so make it count! If anyone can do this... it's you Lucy!"

He then placed his hands on the sides of Lucy's head and Lucy immediately felt a shock go through her mind as she began to feel loads of information go into her head. Angel stepped back in fear as she saw a magic circle appear below to the two.

"Caelum! What are you waiting for?! Finish her!" she cried.

Caelum quickly transformed into a canon and prepared to fire, but right then Hibiki had finished putting the information of the spell in Lucy's head and fell the river in exhaustion. Then the area around them seemed to turned into a blanket of stars as numerous planets appeared all around them. Lucy began to glow in a bright and golden light and a ring of water circled around her now having the spell downloaded in her mind as she began to chant the spell.

 **"Oh, stars far and wide that embody the heavens, by thy radiance, reveal thy form to me. I implore you, Oh Tetrabiblos ruler of the stars, let your unrestrained rage flow..."**

"What the hell is this?!" cried Angel stepping back fearfully. "I've never seen this spell before! Caelum! Hurry up and shoot her!"

Caelum having to have charged enough energy fired, but it was too late. Caelum's beam of attack was deflected by the overwhelming power of Lucy's spell as she completed the spell.

 **"With the eighty-eight heavenly bodies... shining! URANO METRIA!"**

The planets surrounding the area all began to glow in a bright light and then shot straight towards Angel. As Angel braced for the impact of the overwhelming attack, she saw her life flash before her eyes. She remembered back to when she was a child at the Tower of Heaven holding a feather in her hand and looking up to the sky.

"My prayer... was to vanish..." she thought. "To vanish into the heavens... like an angel... pure and white..."

Then every single once of power of the attack blasted and slammed straight into her making her scream in agony and pain and sending her flying. Hibiki seeing Lucy standing victorious smiled proudly as he started to lose conscious.

"Way to go Lucy... I knew you could pull it off," he thought as his vision became black.

Lucy then regained her senses as the area around them returned to normal. As Angel fell into the water, she felt very confused as to what had happened.

"What... just happened?" she wondered. "Did... I win?"

Then she noticed that she was the only one still standing. Hibiki was knocked out and Happy was still frozen in his block of ice due to Gemini, and Natsu was still on his raft suffering from his motion sickness.

"Natsu? Are you OK?!" she called.

Natsu only answered with a weak groan still pale in the face and very sick. Lucy then waded towards Natsu hoping to try and help him, but then she felt a burst of water come from behind her causing her to turn around to find that Angel along with Caelum had reemerged from the water. Angel was covered in bruises, her outfit was tattered and torn, and most of all she had a maniacal look on her face as she stared daggers right at Lucy.

Lucy could only stand there with disbelief as Caelum transformed into its canon form once again and took aim at Lucy. Not only that, but she felt confused wondering how Angel got into such a state.

"What's going on here?" she thought to herself. "How did she get like that and why do I feel so weak?"

"I will... not lose!" she said. "I'm one of the Oración Seis! Anyone who dares get in our way will be sent to the grave! With the last of my power, I'll make sure that you die for sure!"

Caelum began charging up power until it was fully charged and then unleashed the same green blast of energy right at Lucy. Feeling to weak and bruised to move, Lucy shut her eyes. Then suddenly just as the beam was about to hit her, it curved going around Lucy and instead blasted the top of the tree that was holding Natsu's raft in place. Angel gawked at what had just happened, then she realized that Caelum had missed Lucy on purpose.

"Damn you!" she growled. "You filthy traitor!"

Caelum responded by giving two sad beeps before disappearing back into the Celestial World. Now completely out of magic power, Angel fell back into the water now finally defeated. Lucy looked back to see that the shock from the blast had sent Natsu's raft on the move. She quickly waded after it in hot pursuit.

"Natsu! Hang on!" she cried. "You gotta wake up! Pull yourself together!" As she trudged after the raft, she got closer and closer until she reached out with her hand. "Come on! Give me your hand!"

Natsu still feeling weak managed to reach out his hand hearing Lucy. The two hands inched closer and closer until Lucy's managed to grab a hold of Natsu's.

"Got ya!" smiled Lucy.

Then there was trouble. Lucy and Natsu didn't know until it was too late that the raft was heading for a small waterfall. When they went over it Lucy found herself on the raft with Natsu as the raft floated into rushing waters. The raft was now zooming swiftly into the water with Natsu and Lucy holding on for dear life. To make things worse, Lucy looked ahead of them and her face nearly paled.

"No way...! You gotta be kidding me!" she cried.

There ahead of them was a large waterfall. Knowing that they would not be able to get off it in time, all Lucy could do was hold Natsu tight to her chest as she along with him fell over the falls dropping into the water below.

* * *

Meanwhile, back with Shark and Brain they were making their way towards the light in the hopes of gaining control of Nirvana. Suddenly Brain once again felt a pang of pain go through his head as another black line on his face faded away.

"Something wrong master?" asked Shark.

"This is impossible..." murmured Brain. "Angel's been defeated as well?!"

"How unfortunate," said Shark. "That leaves only four members left master including yourself."

Brain seethed in anger his hand clenching tightly around the staff in his hand. "Mark my words...I won't let your deaths be in vain! I will avenge you all!" he growled. "For very soon, the light of this world will come crashing down and all who oppose me will be destroyed!" He turned to Shark. "Quickly Shark! We must make haste and head towards Nirvana as soon as possible!"

"Yes Master," said Shark as he spread his oily black wings and took a hold of Brain. Then with a mighty beat of his wings carrying Brain, he took off into the air. Water shot out from the bottom of his feet and he and Brain rocketed towards the pillar of light in the hopes to getting Nirvana before anything else went wrong.

* * *

 _Another chapter down! I particularly loved doing this chapter because well, Lucy is a fav of mine!_

 _If you liked what you read, leave me a review! If you have any questions you'd like to ask, please PM me!_

 _Until then... Dragoman out!_


	45. Chapter 45 Nirvana Awakens!

_Hey guys! I just wanna take the opportunity to thank you for the favs and follows!_

 _However, I would love to get more! So take this opportunity to share this story with your friends!_

 _Also I know some of you are still suffering of Shark withdrawal, but don't worry! Shark will be in action soon! Just sit tight!_

 _Until then... enjoy the chapter!_

* * *

Chapter 45

Nirvana Awakens!

In another area, Erza was making her way towards Nirvana. She had requipped back to her original outfit and felt much better thanks to Wendy curing her. However, she was deep in thought about one person in particular. Jellal. When Nirvana unsealed, she happened to overhear Natsu mention that Jellal was alive and he was the reason that Nirvana was unsealed. Upon learning that, she slipped away unnoticed and start to head towards the light where Nirvana was herself. She also had lots of mixed up emotions fluttering in her heart, but the biggest that stood out most of all was confusion.

"I still can't believe it..." she thought. "Jellal is alive... but how is that possible? He should have died when the Tower self-destructed. And why is he here of all places? Damn it all... I don't even know how I should be feeling right now..."

Needless to say, as she ran, her thoughts were filled of memories of Jellal. Memories of him being there for Erza in her darkest hour to when he tried to kill her back at the Tower of Heaven. Those memories alone were enough to make her heart cringe, but she pressed on as she grew closer and closer to the pillar of light.

Soon enough, she came into the area where Nirvana was just unsealed only to have a powerful gust of wind blast right into her. The wind was strong, and dust blew everywhere, but Erza continued going step by step getting closer and closer to the beam of light. The wind and the dust eventually settled down and Erza was able to see once again. However, when she looked up and saw the source of the light. The pillar of light had now changed into from black to a pure white color. She also saw something or someone standing by the light that immediately made her eyes widen in shock. There standing in front of the white beam of light was the man that unsealed it and when he turned around and looked back at her, she knew immediately who it was. Jellal. At the same time, Cobra who was still in his hiding place with Cubellios peeked out and was surprised to see Erza.

"No way... It's Erza?! She's still alive!?" he thought. "That's impossible! Why wasn't I able to sense her approaching?! Damn it! If she takes out Jellal before Nirvana's fully activated, then all our hard work will be for nothing!"

Needless to say, Erza's heart felt like it stopped with shock as she gazed at Jellal frozen and unsure how to react to while Jellal stared back at her with an emotionless expression on his face.

"Jellal..." she murmured. "It really is you..." He shocked expression then changed into a glare. "How did you get here? I demand to know!"

It took a few second until Jellal finally responded to her. "I... don't know," he said. "I have no idea... the only thing that I can remember... is Erza..."

Jellal know looked completely confused making Erza's glare soften not expecting this.

"Erza... Erza... That name is the only thing I can remember," continued Jellal as he raised his voice gradually rose with confusion and frustration holding his head. "I have no memory yet I still I remember that name. I don't even know who I am or where I came from!" He looked at Erza now sounding desperate. "Can you tell me? Please! Do you know?! If you know anything, please tell me! At least tell me who this Erza is! If you know anything you have to tell me! I'm begging you!"

Cobra was baffled having to have heard everything Jellal had just said. "You're kidding me..." he muttered. "He's lost all of his memories?!"

Erza at this point was completely shocked by this turn of events and her eyes began to fill with tears of emotion. It was because that she had begun to realize that the Jellal she knew as a child had come back to this world lost, alone, and scared. The innocent and kind Jellal that had helped her get through the hell that was the Tower of Heaven. However, that emotion was quickly shut out, for she wasn't entirely sure that this was an act or was the truth. Her tears were quickly flushed away and then she began walking towards Jellal with a serious frown on her face.

"Jellal..."

Feeling threatened, Jellal panicked as he fired a blast of magic power by extending his arm. "Stay away!" he cried

The attack hit Erza square on, but the knight stood her ground taking the attack completely unfazed surprising Jellal. Taking that as a sign of wanting to fight, Erza bravely stood in front of Jellal and stared him down.

"All right then! You come to me!" she said. "I'm the one you're looking for! I'm Erza! And your name is Jellal Fernandes. There was a time when you were once my one and only friend, "

Jellal eyes widened having to have a couple of his questions answered. "We... we were?" he asked.

"Yes, but then you became deranged, desecrated the dead, hurt my friends, destroyed the magic council, and killed Simon!" continued Erza now sounded and looked more furious than before. "And so, if you... if you even dare to forget the pain you caused, I'll take my sword and strike you in your heart and make you remember! Now come at me and face your atonement!" she yelled.

Jellal stood there completely shocked and full of disbelief from what Erza had just told him. He had done terrible things which made in a monster and that made him feel terrible. His eyes then began to fill with tears. Tears filled with remorse and self-loathing.

"No... it can't be..." he murmured as he looked at his hands. "I... I did that to my comrades? Please... no. What have I done?!" He then began to weep as his buried his face in his hands sobbing. "It can't be true! It just can't be! Please... tell me...how do I make amends?! What should I do now?!"

Erza looked down to the ground unsure of what to say her anger quickly dissipating. She was also wondering that if this was the same Jellal from before, but she was rudely interrupted. Erza sharply turned around to see that Cobra finally came out from his hiding place and was walking towards them.

"Well I guess that explains why I wasn't able to hear your inner voice," he said as he walked towards them with Cubellios hissing and baring her fangs. "But now I've got a whole bunch of other questions to ask you, like how you were able to find Nirvana. No more importantly, how were able to break Nirvana's seal?! I demand to know!"

Jellal took a minute to process what he had in mind, then he explained. "While I was unconscious, I heard a voice inside my mind. It would say, 'I must have Nirvana'. Then when I came to, for some reason I knew exactly where Nirvana was. However, I could also sense how powerful and dangerous it was." He paused impressively. "And that's why... I unsealed Nirvana so could destroy it!"

Cobra and Erza's eyes widened with shock, Cobra being more shocked than Erza.

"How do you intend to destroy something like that?!" asked Erza.

Her answer came sooner than expected. For right then, a large complex purple magic circle with some red inscriptions came into view out of the nothingness from behind him.

"I've rigged this monstrosity with a self-destruction magic circle," continued Jellal. "Very soon, Nirvana will crush itself and be destroyed, and then no one will be able to use its power for evil."

Cobra immediately ran up to the magic circle and stared typing on it like keyboard trying to disarm it, but no matter how much he tried he couldn't.

"Damn it! I've never seen a magic circle with this much complexity!" he said as he backed away. "If I don't do something to stop this, we'll lose everything!" Then he glared at Jellal. "Spill it Jellal! Tell me how to disarm it or I'll beat it out of you!" he snarled.

Jellal didn't say anything. Then he suddenly let out a groan of pain making him hold his chest. "Erza... I'm glad I found out who you were," he said to the woman in particular. "Whenever I hear your name, I feel a calmness wash over me... Kindness, cheerfulness, and even fierce unwavering loyalty." He then began to cough violently making Erza believe that something was wrong. "I have no doubt that you'll continue to hate me for my crimes and that's understandable," continued Jellal as he grunted in pain. "I would probably hate myself too. Therefore, if I'm truly your friend, then I cannot allow that hatred to keep robbing you of your freedom."

"Jellal... what are you saying?" asked Erza who was feeling confused.

Then she and Cobra saw something in the middle of Jellal's chest that made their eyes wide with horror. A purple magic circle like the one from behind slowly appeared on Jellal's chest.

"You gotta be kidding me!" said Cobra gritting his teeth. "He placed a self-destruction circle on himself?! Is he seriously gonna sacrifice himself!? If he dies, then he'll take the disarm codes with him!"

"I'm so sorry you suffered because of me," Jellal spoke again as he began to fall backwards. "I'll do everything I can to make it right. Be free from your hatred Erza. Be free from me... I swear... I'll take your sadness... and your hatred with me to my grave... so they won't shackle you down... Goodbye... Erza... and thank you."

As he fell flat on the ground smiling with satisfaction, Erza could only stare at her friend with shock. Her eyes filled up with tears and began streaming down her face. She was once again about to see her one of her friends die once again in the same fashion that Simon did. By sacrificing himself to protect her. She couldn't bear to see this again. Not again.

"Jellal! Don't do this!" she cried as she ran past Cobra and rushed over to his side picking him up by the collar. "Listen to me! I will not allow you to die like this! You must atone for your sins! Do you honestly think that you can rest in peace completely ignorant for what you did?! Own up to guilt and live!"

Jellal opened his eyes to see Erza's face before his. Her eyes were still streaming with tears as they trickled down on her cheeks and dropping on her armored fist.

"Erza... please don't cry," Jellal spoke quietly. "There's really no reason to."

Erza taken aback immediately look at her right hand to see the tears on her hand. Jellal then smiled.

"Don't forget... you are a good and kind-hearted person," he said. "And you'll always will be..."

His body then went limp as he seemed to lose consciousness letting himself await his death at the hands of his own spell.

"Jellal! Please! You have to pull yourself together!" panicked Erza as she shook him to try and keep him conscious.

Just then as Erza was beginning to lose hope for Jellal, two more visitors arrived on the scene. It was Brain and Shark.

"What could be the meaning of all this foolishness?!" demanded Brain who sounded less than pleased.

Cobra was surprised, but at the same felt relieved to see them. "Brain... Shark... they're here..." he murmured.

Erza seeing two more foes on show up quickly wiped tears, and looked back the two not sure what they were planning to do or what their purpose was.

Brain looked up at the large magic circle and immediately knew what it was. "A magic circle of self-destruction?" he murmured narrowing his eyes.

"This is all Jellal's handiwork!" said Cobra angrily. "We've gone through all this trouble to find Nirvana and take it and this moron is trying to destroy it!"

Brain's frown then changed into a smile as he along with Shark walked towards the magic circle. "Spare me the hysterics Cobra," he said. "I was given the title Brain for a reason. The reason why I am called that is because I once used to work for the Bureau of Magic Development. During my time there, I produced hundreds of spells including the ones that are designed to bring destruction like this one you see before you." He was soon right in front of it and cast a glance towards Jellal. "In fact, I was even the one who taught you how to use them Jellal. Or have you forgotten?"

Erza looked at Brain completely stunned for learning that. Then Brain happened to see the other self-destruction magic circle on Jellal's chest.

"He's placed another one on himself. He intends to take the disarm code with him to grave, does he?" he wondered.

"Apparently the Ethernano messed his memory up and wiped it clean," explained Cobra. "So, I don't think he'll be reminiscing with you anytime soon. He doesn't even know that he was the bad guy at some point."

Brain let out a laugh filled with amusement earning him a spiteful glare from Erza. "Is that so? How comical. No matter. We have no need of his assistance anyway, for I know how to nullify this magic circle with ease."

He placed his hand on the spell's center and then sharply raised it up like he was doing a chop. The magic circle then changed to a bright green color and then bit by bit started to dissolve and break apart much to Erza's and Jellal's shock.

"No!"

"You can't... do this!"

Brain simply laughed with triumph as the last of Jellal's self-destruction spell broke away now nullified. "You did your best Jellal, but now Nirvana is under my control!"

"We'll see about that!" cried Erza as she summoned her sword in an attempt to strike down Brain, but it was too late.

"Now, Nirvana! Arise!" yelled Brain as the ground now began to rumble and shake. "And reveal your true face!"

The ground then began to split apart as the overwhelming power. Rocks flew everywhere and the light from Nirvana grew brighter and brighter.

"Yes! I can hear it!" crowed Cobra who was awed by this terrifying sight. "The sound of the future! The sound of light crashing to the ground!"

Then the pillar of light unleashed a powerful blast of force sending Erza and Jellal high into the air. The two tried to reach out to reach other, but they grew further and further away from each other.

"No Jellal!"

"Erza!"

Then they were both enveloped by the light as Nirvana was ready transforming into its next stage.

* * *

Meanwhile Ren who was still on his mission hoping to stop whoever had unsealed Nirvana. However, he had run into the last person that he wanted to see. Midnight. As soon as he saw him, Ren tried his best to take out Midnight using his Air Magic, but just like with Eve from before, Ren's magic wasn't able to land a single hit. He would unleash spell after spell and it would curve around Midnight completely missing him.

"Damn it! Why can't my magic hit him!?" cried Ren in frustration.

"What's the matter?" smirked Midnight. "Having a little trouble hitting me?"

Ren feeling angry from Midnight's cockiness decided to try one more time.

"AIR MAGIC! AERIAL SHOT!"

With a wave of his hand using his Air Magic, he made dozens of rocks and rubble levitate and then fired them at Midnight. Unfortunately, once again the attack curved around Midnight leaving him completely unharmed.

"No way! You gotta be kidding me!" gawked Ren seeing his attack fail.

Then with one simple glare, Midnight attacked Ren with a shockwave of magic power hitting him hard. Ren staggered and then not having the strength to fight back anymore then fell to the ground defeated.

"And that makes two," said Midnight sounding a bit disappointed. "How pathetic. Isn't there anyone who's tougher than this?"

Then suddenly a bright light shone from behind him causing him to turn around and look towards the pillar of light. When he saw what was going on, he couldn't help but smirk.

"So, it's finally happened... Father has finally gained control of Nirvana."

* * *

It was now evening as the sun began to set just over the horizon. Carla had managed to get Wendy to a safe location far away on the ledge of a mountain that overlooked the Woodsea. She had lied Wendy against the rock and was watching over the young girl until she regained conscious.

"Whew... I swear those fools are going to be the death of us," she muttered. "Oh well... at least I managed to get Wendy to safety. Now it's only a manner of time before she wakes up."

She didn't have to wait for long, for right then, Wendy slowly began to open her eyes as she woke up.

"Wendy! You're finally awake," said Carla. "What a relief."

"Carla? What's going on?" wondered Wendy. "Where am I?"

Carla then explained what had happened after Wendy was knocked out. Wendy took in everything Carla said listening intently. When Carla finished her story, Wendy couldn't help but feel a little glum for what had happened. Especially since she also remembered that she had healed Jellal. She now was starting to feel sorry for herself.

"Maybe... maybe I shouldn't have come and joined the alliance," she said sadly.

"Now child, stop talking like that," chided Carla. "You need to stop beating yourself up. It wasn't your fault."

"Yes, it was," said Wendy as she hugging her knees curling into a ball.

"You do realize you're playing with fire Wendy," said Carla. "If you keep being so negative like this, Nirvana will change your heart and make you turn evil."

But Wendy still felt sad. "It's true. I'm nothing more but a coward," she said bitterly. "I practically ran away and left Lucy and the others behind instead of staying to fight with them."

"You know as well as I do that if you stayed behind, you would've only gotten in the way," said Carla. "There wasn't much you could have done."

"You see? Exactly my point," sulked Wendy. "I really shouldn't have come."

"Come now you know that isn't true," said Carla. "Besides, if it wasn't you being there, Erza would have died from that snake bite."

"Yeah that's true," said Wendy. "But it's also true that the Oración Seis found Nirvana because of me. All because I had to revive Jellal."

"Is it really that bad child? It seems to me that part you of actually happy for seeing that Jellal fellow," said Carla. "While we're on that topic, who is this Jellal anyway? You seem to have a special connection with him which has be confused. After all you did mention that you had to repay him for something he did for you and if he's so important to you then why haven't you told me anything about him?"

"Oh yeah. I never told you, did I? Sorry about that," said Wendy. She then looked up at the sky and began remembering back. "It all happened seven years ago, a little after Sky Dragon Grandeeney disappeared. I was left all alone wandering around aimlessly all by myself. I felt lost... and scared... Eventually I ran into a young boy who was on a journey and was also all alone."

"And I take it that was Jellal?" asked Carla.

"Yes. That was how we met," continued Wendy. "Seeing how alone I was, he then asked me if I wanted to go with him on his journey. Naturally I agreed and then we traveled together from that day forward. We really didn't know where we were going, but I don't think we really cared. I personally didn't care where we went as long as I was with him. We had been walking for about a month so and then one day he started acting really strange."

"Strange how?" wondered Carla.

"I don't know, but not long after he said that he had to leave me behind for some reason because it was too dangerous," said Wendy sadly. "I didn't want to, but when we got beyond the forest, he left me with a guild which was Cait Shelter and I've been there ever since."

"I see. So that's how you ended up there," said Carla thoughtfully. "What happened to Jellal after you parted ways with him?"

"I don't know. I never saw him again after that," replied Wendy. "But recently I have heard rumors about someone from the council that looked just like him was doing horribly evil deeds to people." Wendy then gave a small smile. "But... it seems so silly. I mean how could he even think about doing such things? It also makes me wonder... does he even still remember me after all these years?"

Carla sighed unable to come up with an answer. Then suddenly heard an explosion of sorts and a bright burst of light coming from somewhere a few feet away from them. They looked to see the pillar of light that was Nirvana had grown bright and was a mixture of white and black. Not only that, but the ground began to tremble beneath them.

"Carla! Look at that!" cried Wendy. "It looks even worse now!"

"Quickly child let's get to safety!" said Carla urgently. "We must get airborne!"

Carla immediately clamped onto Wendy's back and spread her wings lifting her into the air just as the mountain began to crumble beneath them.

* * *

Back in the forest, Lucy was knocked out for quite some time. She then regained conscious only to feel a sharp pain on her shoulder. When she shot her hand up towards her shoulder, she felt that it had been bandaged and taken care of. Not only that, but she was now wearing a completely different outfit. Her outfit comprised of blue top with gold trims that was sleeveless and left her back bare with a white bow close to her neck, a blue skirt, blue bracelets and stockings with white frills, and blue with gold trimmed high heel shoes.

"What the... someone treated me and changed my clothes," she murmured. "But who could have..."

"That would be me Princess," said a voice next to her. "I thought that clothes from the Celestial World would be better considering that your clothes were damaged."

Lucy turned to see a young girl about her age sitting next to her. She had short pink hair, had blue eyes, had shackles on her wrists, and wore a black and white maid outfit. Lucy knew who it was, but she was surprised to see her considering that she was out of magic power.

"Virgo?!"

"Not only that, but I took the liberty of changing Natsu's clothes as well," added Virgo. "I even picked out the ones that would make you two a matching set."

Lucy looked to see that Natsu was lying against the tree unconscious. He now wore a jacket that was blue with gold trims just like Lucy's, wore a pair of orange baggy pants, and had dark blue with gold trimmed boots. Lucy then sighed with irritation.

"You know that was completely unnecessary you know?" she said flatly.

Then Natsu woke up. "Hey... what's going on?" he wondered. "Now, where am I?" Then he suddenly remembered. "Wait a second! I don't have time for this! Where's that light thing?"

He then saw the pillar of light in the distance as did Lucy and Virgo. The light was shining in the distance like before, but it also had changed color.

"We seem to be closer to the light," said Lucy. "But is it me or did it change color?"

"Indeed, it did," observed Virgo. "While you were both unconscious, the color changed from black to white."

Natsu glared at the light letting out an angry snarl feeling irritated for some unknown reason, but then he took a deep breath and calmed down. He then turned towards Lucy.

"Thanks a bunch for helping me back there Lucy," he said flashing a smile. "You really saved my butt."

Lucy blushed in a bright shade of red. "Oh yeah. Sure... no problem," she said embarrassingly.

"She looooves you," teased Virgo.

"Don't you copy that stupid cat!" snapped Lucy.

"Speaking of Happy, where is he?" wondered Natsu. "And for that matter Lucy, weren't you supposed to stay with Erza?"

"I'm sorry..." apologized Lucy looking depressed. "I haven't seen Happy and I was with Erza, but we got split up."

"Oh well then. Guess we have to go to that light thing all by ourselves," said Natsu. "Let's get going."

"I shall be taking my leave as well Princess," said Virgo. "I'm happy to have serviced you and please take care."

"Virgo hold on!" began Lucy, but Virgo then vanished into the air back into the Celestial World. It was then that Lucy realized something right then. "That's right. I didn't summon Virgo. She came here using her own magic power, but then does that mean I used up all of mine?"

Then both she and Natsu heard the rustling of bush startling her and Natsu. They looked towards the bushes to find a certain pink haired girl walking towards them in a zombie like trance.

"It's Sherry," said Lucy feeling happy to see her. "Man! You scared me half to death, but I'm glad that you're alright."

"Wait a sec..." said Natsu who was now looking at Sherry thoughtfully. "You were on Galuna Island? What happened to the bushy brows and that dog guy?"

"You know this girl Natsu!" said Lucy flatly. "You've seen her since then! How dumb are you?!"

Sherry glared evilly at the two causing them to step back. "It's your fault... You Fairy Tail wizards are to blame for what happened to my beloved Lyon!"

She then used her magic to make two large hands made from the roots of trees in the ground. They shot forward threatening to grab Natsu and Lucy, but then several spikes of ice shot up from the ground destroying them. Then a certain ice maker wizard leapt out from the shadows and grabbed Sherry from behind and pinned her to the ground.

"I've had enough of you, you idiot!" he yelled.

"Gray!" cried Lucy. "What the heck is going on?!"

"I don't know!" said Gray as he struggled to keep Sherry down. "For some reason she seems to be possessed or something! She's been like this ever since that light came out!"

"Hey! You were acting strange before too!" said Natsu indignantly remembering what had happened before. "What's the idea pulling off that raft stunt?! I oughta kick you in the teeth for that!"

Gray was puzzled, but Lucy quickly explained. "Natsu that wasn't really Gray," she said. "That was actually Gemini, a Celestial Spirit."

"Damn it! Get off of me!" shrieked Sherry. "You'll all will pay for what you did to Lyon! I will avenge his death!"

"Avenge me for what exactly?" said a voice. "I would have thought that you'd have a little more faith in me than that Sherry."

Everyone looked up and they were surprised to see Lyon standing before them alive and well dragging an unconscious Racer on the ground. Upon seeing Lyon, Sherry calmed down and Gray let her go.

"Lyon... you're alive...?" she murmured.

"Of course, he is," said Gray smiling. "He's a lot tougher than he looks."

"Don't give me too much credit Gray," said Lyon. "I was a lot closer to dying than I thought. That bomb lacrima he had was no joke. I had to use every ounce of my magic power just to protect myself from the blast and to recover."

"Sounds like you've had it pretty rough too," commented Lucy. "You are pretty tough."

Sherry's eyes were now brimming with tears of joy. "Thank goodness..." she said. "My dear Lyon is alive..." She felt very happy, but at the same time felt very exhausted passing out onto the ground. Then she began to glow a dark light as a mysterious black vapor came out of her body.

"What the... what is that?" wondered Natsu.

"I guess she was possessed after all," said Gray.

"No kidding," said Lucy looking back at the light. "We better get going and find Erza. We're running out of time."

"I agree," said Lyon. "I'll get Sherry."

Lyon then left Racer on the ground and picked up Sherry in his arms. They were just about to set off when suddenly, the pillar of light began to grow brighter in a burst of energy and the white light was now a mixture of white and black.

"What is that?!" cried Natsu. "I've never smelled anything this dangerous before!

"Did we not make it in time?!" asked Lyon.

"I'm really hoping it's not as bad as it looks," said Gray worriedly. "And to make things worse, I get the feeling that Erza's right in the middle of it."

Suddenly the ground began to tremble and then originating from the light, giant stone tendrils shot forth from the ground causing everyone who was watching to gawk in shock.

"Now what the heck is going on?!" said Natsu.

"I don't know, but those things seem to be coming from everywhere!" said Gray.

"Is this what Nirvana's true form looks like?!" asked Lucy.

"If it is, this is the craziest type of magic I've ever seen," said Lyon.

Then the ground began to shake even more violently beneath their feet.

"Now what's going on?!" exclaimed Natsu. "Why is everything shaking now?!"

"Get a hold of yourself man!" chided Gray.

"Now I'm getting a really bad feeling," said Lucy warily.

Then suddenly the broke tore beneath them and another tendril ripped up. Lyon carrying Sherry was lucky to have gotten out of the way, but as for Natsu, Lucy, and Gray they ended up right on top of it.

"I hate it when I'm right!" shrieked Lucy as she along with Natsu and Gray were swept up high in the air.

As the tendrils came out of the ground, the ground began to break and erupt upwards lifting the pillar of black and white light and then something began to be pulled out of the ground. Eventually a city emerged from the ground attached to the stone tendrils giving it the appearance of some kind of strange spider. This was Nirvana's complete and final form.

* * *

Erza was holding onto a ledge that she managed to grab at the last moment while hanging onto Jellal with her other hand. If she didn't do something quick, they would fall to the ground below. She summoned all of her strength and pulled herself up and then while still holding onto Jellal, pulled him up too. Now the two of them her safe.

"Erza... you saved me," panted Jellal.

"You have to undo the magic circle you placed on yourself," said Erza not forgetting about Jellal's plan. "You have a duty to stay alive."

Jellal looked down at the circle on his chest looking very ashamed with himself. "But... I failed," he said miserably. "I wasn't able to stop Nirvana. And now... the world is doomed."

Erza looked at Jellal with a neutral expression and then she smiled. "No. It's not over yet," she said as she turned her head towards the tendrils of Nirvana. "Take a look over there."

Jellal did so and he couldn't believe his eyes. On one of the legs was a cloud of dust running up to it. The cause of it was none other than Natsu who roared with determination with Lucy and Gray right behind him. And it wasn't just him that he saw. He also saw Wendy flying high in the sky using Carla heading towards the city from above. And on another tendril, he also saw Hoteye who was helping Jura stay on the leg as they too headed towards the city. Jellal couldn't help but be amazed.

"As long as we draw breath into our lungs," spoke Erza as she smiled helping Jellal to his Jellal. "We'll never give up and will keep hope alive in our hearts. That hope only will be enough to guide you, so please... live Jellal."

Jellal looked at Erza stupefied for what she had just told him. A smile slowly worked its way to his lips. He then placed a hand on his chest where the self-destruction circle was and undid the circle shattering it.

"I will," said Jellal. "Let's go together... Erza," he said.

* * *

"Once we get up there, I'm gonna smash that thing into a million pieces!" yelled Natsu as he continued to run.

Then suddenly the tendril that they were on began to move as it began taking its first steps. The moment it did, Natsu slipped and skidded back just behind Lucy and Gray managing to get a hold of it, however he felt his motion sickness come on as his became a little pale.

"You have got to be kidding me?!" chided Gray. "Natsu, you're getting sick now?!"

"You gotta pull yourself together!" Lucy called. "I know it's a thing, but you have to try!"

"Can't...help it..." groaned Natsu as he felt the bile build in his throat. "It's a vehicle...it's moving... from one place... to another..."

"Come on! It may be moving, but it's not a vehicle!" shouted Gray. "Don't think of it like that!"

Natsu was still feeling sick, but he stood up with determination. He took a few steps just ahead of Lucy and Gray, but the sickness proved too much for him and he stopped holding his stomach.

"Come on! You can do it!" shouted Lucy. "Just think of it as a giant octopus! Being on an animal doesn't bother you, does it?!"

"An octopus in the woods... that's all sorts of wrong Luce," choked Natsu.

"Don't sweat the small stuff and just move!" snapped Lucy.

Natsu then slapped his cheeks and straightened up. "You're right! I just gotta focus!" he said. "Let's do this! I'm all better now!"

Then another tendril next to them stamped on the ground causing the leg Natsu was on to vibrate causing his to slip.

"Watch out!" cried Lucy.

"You idiot!" yelled Gray. "Stay alert man!"

"Don't worry! I got this!" Natsu called back. "This is nothing!

Then another vibration caused Natsu to slip even more. He cried to stay on top, but unfortunately Natsu was no match from gravity as slid off the tendril and fell off it plummeting to the ground below. Just when it seemed that the fire dragon slayer would meet his end, something swooped down and grabbed him on the back lifting him high into the air. Natsu immediately knew who it was that saved him. He looked over his neck to find that a certain blue cat with wings was clinging to his back being his wings.

"Happy! Nice save pal!" he said. "That was totally awesome!

"Aye sir!" replied Happy. "Bet this is way better, riding the wind like this eh Natsu?"

Natsu grinned agreeing. Lucy and Gray seeing Natsu now flying thanks to happy let out a sigh of relief.

"Way to go Happy!" cheered Lucy. "Awesome catch!"

"I swear... he almost gave me a heart attack," muttered Gray. Then he saw a tunnel in front of him and Lucy and then called out to Natsu and Happy. "Hey you two! Keep heading for the top! Me and Lucy are gonna go through this tunnel and see where it leads!"

"Aye sir!"

Then Natsu with Happy on his back shot upwards flying at a quickening pace until they made it over the wall. They were welcomed to the sight of an old city. The entire place looked abandoned with the buildings made of stone and there wasn't a soul around.

"Oh wow... this sure is a weird looking city," said Happy. "And old too."

"Man... no kidding," said Natsu.

Then strange scent wafted into Natsu's nose. A strange scent that felt strangely familiar. He sniffed trying to get a grasp for what it was.

"What is it Natsu?" wondered Happy. "You smell something?"

Natsu sniffed a couple more times before responding. "I smell... fish?"

"What?! Fish?!" exclaimed Happy which was his favorite food. "Where?! Where?! I want some fish!" He looked around frantically trying to see where the fish was with his mouth drooling, but he couldn't see any. "Hey... what's the idea Natsu?! I don't see any fish!" he said indignantly.

"I don't know," said Natsu. "I just smell fish. Not only that, but... I feel like I smelled this scent before."

"You have? When?" wondered Happy.

"I don't know..." said Natsu thoughtfully. "Sometime... long ago."

As Natsu hummed to himself trying to remember where he smelled the fish smell, he began to smell something else. As soon as he smelled this different scent, he immediately knew who it was and found the source of it all which was a large strange looking building in the center. Not only that, but he could also could tell that the fish smell was originating from there too.

"That smell..." he said narrowing his eyes. "I can smell him too..."

* * *

At the very tip top of the building, Brain laughed with triumph with Shark and Cobra standing beside him.

"At last! It's finally mine!" he crowed. "At long last I have obtained it! The ultimate weapon that will make the light come crashing down! The legendary reversal magic- Nirvana! Those foolish guilds of the light may have their powers of friendship, trust, and piety, but now such meanings are completely powerless and meaningless!"

"Congratulations Master," said Shark. "You have now accomplished your mission."

"I'll agree to that Shark," said Cobra smirking. "I still can't believe you pulled this off Brain. Nirvana is finally ours! A city that was once dead now finally back to life." He turned to his faithful purple snake companion. "Isn't this incredible Cubellios?" he asked excitedly.

Cubellios replied with a pleased hiss.

"Behold Cobra! Shark! Look how this world spreads out before us!" said Brain spreading his arms with glee. "A city of the Ancients that is now unshackled from time and the earth itself, this is Nirvana's true form. And from this royal throne of power, I have the power to move the city to anywhere I see fit!"

"Is that so?" wondered Cobra. "It sounds like you have a target in mind. So, where are we going?"

Brain's face darkened as he smiled with malevolence. "I think you know what I have in mind," he said. "A certain guildhall."

"So... that's what you had in mind," said Cobra with an amused expression. "Talk about starting things off with a bang."

"That's right!" said Brain. "It shall the first out of many lights to be extinguished!" He waved his staff to the side, and a series of runes around the top from where they were standing making a circle and then a large insignia appeared in the middle giving it the appearance of a command center made of Archive Magic. "Now, forward Nirvana!" shouted Brain. "Begin your march and transform my darkness into light!"

Then suddenly the three of them saw a twinkle in the sky and then Natsu came swooping down dive-bombing straight for them.

"I don't think so!" he roared. "I'm putting the brakes on this thing right now!"

He cloaked his fist on fire using his Fire Dragon Iron Fist and seemed to be aiming straight for Brain, but it was nothing more but a bluff. Instead Natsu went straight for the control panel of Nirvana and smashed it with his fist destroying it and causing the circle of runes to disappear as well.

"Damn it! It's the fire dragon!" cursed Brain.

But Natsu wasn't done yet. Using Happy to fly upwards, he took a deep breath and unleashed a powerful blast of fire from his mouth.

"FIRE DRAGON ROAR!"

The blast of fire shot straight toward Brain threatening to burn him to a crisp, but Shark immediately took action. He stepped in between Brain and the blast of fire, clenched his fists cloaking them with the same oily black colored water, and then slammed them into the ground. A giant burst of water burst from the ground and blocking Natsu's attack protecting him and Brain.

"What the heck?!" exclaimed Natsu. "What was that?!"

"I don't know!" said Happy. "It looked like some kind of geyser!"

Shark then went on the attack by summoning a giant star made of water from each of his hands and then threw them towards Natsu and Happy. The stars zipped through the air heading straight toward Natsu and Happy.

"Oh man! Incoming!" yelled Natsu as he flew upwards dodging the stars. "Ha! Ya missed me!"

The stars zipped harmlessly past them, but like a boomerang came zipping right back towards him.

"Holy crap!" cried Natsu and he barely dodged the stars just in time. The stars went flying straight into two of the pillars and pierced into them. He breathed a sigh of relief having to have avoided that attack. But then he felt a slight draft on his arms. He looked at them to find that they were sliced open due to the stars.

"Oh man! That was close!" said Happy. "If you had gotten hit, you could have gotten your arms cut off!"

"No kidding!" said Natsu as he looked back at Shark scowling. "I'm gonna burn this guy to a crisp!" He puffed up his cheeks and unleashed his breath attack again. "FIRE DRAGON ROAR!"

The blast of fire came streaming straight at Shark, but then Shark began chuffing his cheeks too and then he unleashed a blast of oil colored water back at him. The two attacks collided creating a powerful shock wave that sent Natsu and Happy reeling back from the force, but Happy managed stop himself and Natsu thanks to his large wings. Happy and Natsu however was in a state of shock at what Shark had just did.

"No way! That was a breath attack just like yours!" he said to Natsu. "Is he a dragon slayer too?!"

Natsu didn't respond. He stared at Shark like he saw a ghost. The reason was that he once again recognized the attack Shark had did just like when he was attacked by Shark before. This time, he remembered where he saw it. It was back when he was a child at the Fairy Tail guild at the time. Back when he was fighting someone who wasn't a member. He could remember fighting the guy, but he couldn't remember anything else.

"Natsu what's the matter?" asked Happy worriedly. "Why do you look so freaked out?"

"I don't know..." said Natsu. "For some reason lately, whenever I fight with this guy, I keep getting this Deja-vu feeling."

"What do you mean?" asked Happy. "Have seen this guy before?"

Before Natsu could answer, he was rudely interrupted by Brain.

"Shark! Come back here now!" he said. "You must stay here with me in case we have any more uninvited guests!"

"Understood Master," said Shark as he obediently walked back to Brain.

"Cobra! Stop that flaming idiot at once!" Brain yelled to the snake charmer. "Do not let him rampage anymore!"

"I hear ya boss!" acknowledged Cobra. "Cubellios!"

At his command, Cubellios pounced into the air and swiped at Natsu using her head knocking him back. Natsu's feelings of shock were now quickly replaced in anger.

"Why you...! You're gonna pay for that!" he growled.

He took a deep breath about to unleash his Fire Dragon Roar again, but Cobra launched himself into the air thanks to an assist by Cubellios and punched Natsu Square in the face stopping him. The force of the punch sent Natsu spiraling in the air, but Happy managed to help him recover thanks to his wings. Then when Natsu turned back to his two new opponents, he was surprised to see that Cubellios had now sprouted wings and was now flying in front of them with Cobra standing on her back.

"What the heck is this?!" exclaimed Happy who was equally as surprised. "A flying snake?! Everyone knows that snakes aren't supposed fly!"

"I could say the same about you cat," said Cobra. He turned to Natsu. "As for you, I thought vehicles made you motion sick, so you should be puking your guts out. What's the deal?"

"Hey! Happy's not a vehicle! He's my friend!" snapped Natsu indignantly.

"I see," said Cobra. "That explains it. You have to stay up in the air because being on Nirvana will make you sick. That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!"

"Like I care what you think!" Natsu shot back. "Now get out of my way! I've got some questions to ask that ninja guy and while I'm at it, I'm gonna stop this overgrown piece of junk!"

"Go ahead and try. You're gonna need the devil's luck to do that," said Cobra snootily. "Because there's no way I'm gonna let you near Brain and neither will Shark."

Then Natsu looked down at the two men in particular who were watching from below. "So that Brain guy must be the one controlling this thing," he said.

"Bring it on Fire Dragon Slayer," said Cobra beckoning with his hand. "I'll crush you in an instant."

"You got it buddy!" said Natsu as he zoomed right at Cobra. Then he feinted and went straight to Brain and Shark. "Psych! We're going straight to the Brain!"

"Aye!" said Happy.

However, before Natsu and Happy could go right for Brain, Cobra patted Cubellios giving her a signal. She immediately swung her tail slamming it right into Natsu's stomach sending him and Happy spiraling in the air until they finally regained themselves.

"Well... that didn't work the way I wanted it to," Natsu said dizzily.

"That's crazy! How'd the heck did he know what we were going to do?!" wondered Happy.

"I can hear your movements before you make them!" called out Cobra flashing an evil smile. "Yup. They're coming in loud and clear. Come on! Let's have some fun!"

Cobra riding Cubellios then went on the attack as did Natsu and Happy as the battle began.

* * *

 _A little bit of Shark action here, but not much._

 _But again don't worry all you people who are still suffering from Shark withdrawal, Shark will be in action a couple chapters from now!_

 _Until then, read, review or PM me!_

 _Dragoman out!_


	46. Chapter 46 Poison vs Fire

_Another chapter up and running!_

 _Not only that, but it's time for another opening!_

 _Hope you guys like it! Enjoy the read!_

* * *

 _The opening starts with Happy a wand with surrounded by a circle of various fish._

 _Then it switches to everyone in Fairy Tail having a good time with Natsu, Gray, and Plue putting on a show wearing tribal clothes with Natsu blowing a horn spewing fire, Gray playing the guitar, and Plue playing the maracas. Lucy is off to the side reading a book and Erza is on the balcony watching with a smile on her face._

 _Then it switches to Team Natsu being outside surrounded by various creatures with Lucy and Erza looking at the audience smiling, Natsu and Happy on a rock looking into the distance in awe, and Gray standing next to a bear looking confused trying to figure out where he's going. Taurus is also seen in the middle smiling._

 _We now see the Cait Shelter guildhall as we zoom in eventually revealing inside an old man sitting inside. He was slim, bare-chested, had a long white beard that connected his mustache and eyebrows, wore a headdress of purple and white feathers, had a red tattoo comprised of a dot surrounded by two arched lines on his head, wore a necklace with three large white teeth, wore bandages on his wrists and gold bands on his upper arms, and had a light gray cloth with dark brown pants underneath, and simple brown shoes._

 _We switch to Nirvana which was preparing to unleash a powerful magic beam at Cait Shelter._

 _We quickly zoom in towards the opening where the beam is going to fire and we see a man who looks like Brain. Only his skin was white with blood red eyes, had wavy silver hair and wore a green military outfit with black stripes. The man grins evilly awaiting the destruction of Cait Shelter, but we quickly move away from him to see that on top of a pile of rubble Team Natsu along with Wendy and Carla stand ready to fight the man._

 _We see Natsu and Happy looking determined to stop the man and then we see Natsu roaring getting ready to fight._

 _Now we switch the blue sky as the Fairy Tail logo appears fading in._

 ** _Kinou wo kuyan datte ato no matsuri_**  
 ** _Oto ni tada mi wo makasete mireba_**

 _The Fairy Tail logo disappears and Wendy with Carla carrying her zooms in flying high in the sky. We then see a flashback of Wendy and Jellal as children walking together smiling at each other._

 ** _Kimochi made karuku shite kureru yo  
Ima ni demo tobe sou jan_**

 _Panning upwards we see the members of the Oración Seis starting with Cobra in the middle, Angel on the right, Racer on the left, Hoteye on the upper right, Shark on the upper left, Brain on top, and Midnight in the middle._

 ** _Soko ni yama ga aru kara. Sou itteta tozan ka_**  
 ** _Kekkyoku kotae wa tanjun de_**

 _We close in to Midnight as the background fades making Midnight in the middle of town on Nirvana's back. He then creates a small red ball made from his own magic power, clenches it, and then releases it as he jumps unleashing blade-like waves of his magic._

 ** _Dare mo ga idomi tsudukeru tabibito nanda_**

 _We see a blade from a bisentō revealing it to be held by Erza who is now wearing an outfit that was comprised of a short purple tunic and revealing on the sides and chest held by a black obi with a red rope around it, a long cloth covering the groin area, bandages covering her forearms and wrists, pink stockings going up to her thighs, and simple sandals. She twirls her_ _bisentō and then slashes it at her unknown enemy._

 ** _Hora ame sae mo  
enerugī ni kaete  
Egao sakase odori akasou_**

 _Now as we pan upwards, we see the members of Lamia Scale. Sherry, Lyon, and Jura. Then Ichiya along with the Trimens come in dancing to the rhythm of the song._

 ** _Taiyou wo shimesu bokura no konpasu  
Tadotte yuke ba jiyuu ni nareru kara_**

 _We switch to see the very damaged Magic Bomber Christina soaring high in the sky. We also see a transparent image of the Trimens looking battered, but not beaten as they use their magic to keep Christina flying._

 ** _Tomo ni uchiage you hanabi_**

 _We now see a bruised Jellal inside of what appears to be an ancient room inside of Nirvana his hand held out and holding a golden flame._

 ** _Kimochi hitotsu ni shite_**

 _Next, Team Natsu is in a hallway inside of Nirvana looking battered and tired with Natsu punching his fist into the floor refusing to be defeated._

 ** _Taiyou wa shizumi kuri kaesu_**  
 ** _Ashita hare nante hoshou wa nai kedo_**  
 ** _Donna aranami sae mo umaku nori konashite_**

 _In another room of Nirvana, Natsu stands before the white skinned man with red eyes ready to fight letting his magic power flare as he's shrouded in fire. He then engages Brain in battle by throwing a punch at him. but the man blocked his fist with his hand. The man tries to hit Natsu in the face, but Natsu barely manages to dodge. Natsu then uses his Fire Dragon Iron Fist and tries to uppercut the man on his chin which he blocks using both hands and unleashing streams of green and dark magic. Natsu retaliates and unleashes a Fire Dragon Roar breaking through the man's attack and scoring a hit. However, the man is unharmed as he and Natsu come flying straight into each other their faces inches away from each other._

 ** _Unmei no rakuen wa ima_**

 _We see an image of Gray unleashing a powerful Ice Make Geyser, then we see an image of Erza wearing an armor that was black with silver trims that revealed her cleavage and belly and had a pair of bat like wings, and we see a now very muscular Ichiya smashing through a rock while flexing his muscles._

 ** _koko ni aru_**

 _Wendy is now hugging a very surprised Natsu crying tears of joy. We also see a split image of Erza. On the right, Erza sitting by some rubble curled in a ball, and on the left a close up of Erza looking very sad and crying. We see an image of Lucy and Happy surrounded by Lucy's Celestial Spirits looking cheerful. Finally, we see Natsu emerging from his flames letting out a fierce roar with a mirage of his dragon Igneel above him as the music ends._

* * *

Chapter 46

Poison vs Fire

In different part of city, Carla and Wendy had just touched down to the ground. Carla was out of breath and felt very exhausted due to using her magic excessively and carrying Wendy.

"Carla are you alright?" asked Wendy worriedly. "I'm sorry for making you work so hard. I wish that I could have done more for you."

"It's alright child," reassured Carla. "All that matters right now is that we made it in one piece. Mostly. But now that we're here, what exactly do you plan to do? I take it that you want to find Jellal person?"

"No, you've got it all wrong!" denied Wendy automatically raising her voice.

Carla raised a brow in suspicion. "Do I? Tell me the truth Wendy," she said.

Wendy then blushed and then looked away in embarrassment scratching her cheek. "Um... well... I guess in a way... I am... but I also know that we have to stop this thing." She then looked back at Carla feeling a lot more confident pumping her fist. "So now that I'm here, maybe there's a way I can help to put a stop to this thing!"

Carla was surprised at Wendy's sudden confidence, but then a small smile worked its way to her lips. Then she noticed something as she happened to look in the distance past the Woodsea. Her smile was quickly replaced with utter disbelief and horror. Wendy felt worried.

"Carla? What is it?" she wondered. "Is something wrong?"

"No... it can't be..." murmured Carla as she slowly stood up and walked towards the edge looking towards the forest and mountains in the distance. "It has to be some kind of coincidence, right?" She soon came to the edge with Wendy following suit. "No... it can't be... Please tell me it's not going where I think it is..."

"What is it Carla?" asked Wendy. "What do you mean? Where do you think it's going?"

"If Nirvana keeps traveling on the same course it is now..." Carla spoke quietly. "Then soon it'll reach our home... it's heading straight for the home of the Cait Shelter guild!"

Wendy could only look at Carla and then towards in the distance with worry as Nirvana continued its march.

* * *

It was now night as the battle between Natsu and Cobra raged on with Brain and Shark watching as the spectators. Natsu was trying his best to try and land a hit on Cobra, but every single time no matter what he tried, Cobra was able to read his moves and blocked them with ease.

"Damn it! I can't land a single hit on this guy!" growled Natsu. "Why can't I hit him?!"

"I wonder he's using some kind of magic," wondered Happy. "I don't suppose that you have any ideas do you Natsu?"

"I don't know, but all I know is that we gotta take this guy down and quick!" said Natsu giving Happy a sideways glance. "We'll never be able to beat that Brain and Shark guy if we don't. Let's give this guy a beat down he won't forget and stop this hunk of junk in its tracks!"

"Aye sir!" said Happy.

"It's no use," called out Cobra. "No matter how much you struggle, there's no way that you two can win. Although this will be a riot and a great source of entertainment while we make our way over to our next stop."

Happy then looked back towards the Royal Throne where Brain and Shark stood and saw that the magic circle that Natsu had destroyed a while back had now reappeared.

"Hey Natsu! Look!" he said. "Didn't you destroy that thing with your last attack?"

"Yeah, I did," replied Natsu. "Guess in order for it to vanish, we'll have to take out the guy with the tats."

"You really think it's gonna be that easy?" smirked Cobra. "You do realize that there's no way that's never gonna happen, cause I ain't gonna let you."

"Don't underestimate us!" snapped Natsu.

"That's right!" said Happy. "When the two of us are working together, there's nothing in the world that can stop us!"

"Master are you sure it was wise for me to stand down?" asked Shark. "If the two of us fought the fire dragon slayer together, we would have been more than a match for him.

"True Shark, but I need you by my side," said Brain. "Since I can't use my magic while I'm using this magic circle, I need someone to guard me just in case. Besides, Cobra is more than a match against that dragon slayer on his own. Just remain with me until I give you further orders."

"Understood Master," acknowledged Shark.

Brain then called out to Cobra. "Cobra! Eliminate those fools for me."

"Sure thing boss," said Cobra. "They'll make a pretty nice feast for Cubellios anyway."

"Hey! I'm not food!" said Happy indignantly. "You eat me, and you'll get one nasty hairball!"

"And a mean case of heartburn!" added Natsu. "Bring it on!"

Cubellios with Cobra hiding on her back immediately went on the attack flying straight towards them baring her fangs, but Natsu and Happy zipped and dodged avoiding her snapping jaws. Then Natsu ignited his fists on fire and punched them together creating a large ball of flame in hands as he threw it straight at them.

"FIRE DRAGON: BRILLIANT FLAME!"

At the last second, Cubellios swerved to the right dodging the attack with ease making the attack fall harmlessly into a building in the city with a boom.

"Oh man! You missed em!" cried Happy.

"Don't worry! I'm just getting warmed up!" said Natsu. "Let's see him dodge these!"

He then unleashed a barrage of Fire Dragon: Brilliant Flame attacks hoping to get at least one hit in, but Cubellios slithered around the attacks with Cobra riding on her back. The attacks all fell into the buildings below causing dust to go everywhere.

"Come on Natsu! You call this warming up?!" complained Happy. "You didn't even hit em once!"

"Give me a break!" panted Natsu. "I threw as many fireballs as I could, so you'd think that one of them should have hit him! What's the deal?"

"I'm... not sure that's how it works Natsu," said Happy flatly.

Then they saw Corba and Cubellios fly up above them. "I told you before, I can hear your moves before you can make them," said Cobra flashing a cocky smile. "There's no way you'll be able to land a hit on me!"

"Yeah, yeah! Whatever!" scoffed Natsu as he immediately shot straight towards him. "So, what if you got supersonic hearing!? I'm still gonna kick your-"

Natsu was then immediately cut off by Cubellios who smacked him square in the face using her tail three times. Two of them were both to the face and the third was right on top of his head sending Natsu falling straight into the ground. It seemed that he would crash into the ground, but Happy managed pull up at the last minute guiding Natsu back into the air.

"Whew! That close! Thanks, little buddy!" said Natsu gratefully.

He looked around trying to find Cobra and Cubellios, but they were nowhere to be seen.

"Where'd he go?" wondered Happy. "I don't see them."

Then when they flew past a building, Cubellios and Cobra suddenly appeared net to them surprising them. Cubellios opened her mouth wide threatening to swallow Natsu and Happy with one bite, but Natsu and Happy got out of the way just in time. The two then dove straight into the city hoping to find some cover.

"You can run all you want, but I will find you!" Cobra called with a gleam in his eyes. "It just makes hunting you weaklings all the more fun for me!"

"That cocky little punk!" growled Natsu. "I'll melt that grin right off his face!"

"I'll bet that he's one lonely dude with an attitude like that!" said Happy. "The ladies don't usually like the super-cocky type!"

Then as they came to a building, Natsu had an idea. "Happy! Quick! Hide in that building over there!"

Happy did what Natsu asked and flew through a window-like opening to a room. "Natsu what are you planning to do?" he asked.

Natsu answered by quietly shushing him and also pointing to the corner of the room. "Let's hide in that corner! Once he comes in. we'll catch him by surprise and sock em in the teeth!"

Happy grinned and answered with an "aye" as he and Natsu hid in the corner waiting for Cobra and Cubellios to come. A few minutes later the wall began to crack and crumble until it finally burst making a cloud of dust. Natsu smirked feeling very clever as he went on the attack seizing his chance.

"I gotcha now snake boy!" he crowed

He used Fire Dragon: Iron Fist and pounced right into the cloud of dust. However, when he swung his fist into the cloud of dust he felt it hit nothing. Cobra and Cubellios were nowhere to be seen.

"Wha- What the !?"cried a baffled Natsu. "He's not there!? Where'd he go?!"

Then Cobra leapt out of the doorway and slammed Natsu in the face with his knee. Natsu and Happy recoiled from the impact, but managed to float back up into the air as Cobra leaped back onto Cubellios' back and followed suit.

"Man, some plan that was!" grumped Happy. "He's got ears like a dog or something."

"Give me a break. Did you really think that I would fall for that?" scoffed Cobra. "And for that matter you blue fleabag, I may be cocky, but I'm not a lonely dude!"

"Wait a minute, you heard that too?!" yelped Happy. "You weren't supposed to hear that!"

"Grrrr! This punk's really starting to bug me!" growled Natsu. "You know what?! Screw this! This chump's going down!"

Natsu once again used his Fire Dragon: Iron Fist and swung it at Cobra, but he once again dodged with ease.

"Hey! Quit dodging me you jerk!" he yelled. "Stay still so I can hit ya!"

"Like I would!" Cobra yelled back. "You're the one that doesn't seem to learn!"

"Says you! You're just a cheating punk who's scared of taking a hit!" Natsu shot back.

"It's crazy though," said Happy. "Is he using some kind of magic to predict our moves?"

"Not even that," said Cobra. "I just listen. I can always know what you're going to do because I can hear the voices in your mind."

Now Natsu and Happy felt puzzled.

"So... you're basically a psychic," said Happy. "If that's true then what am I thinking right now?!"

There was a moment of silence as Happy began thinking about something in his mind. A few seconds passed and then Happy's stomach let out a loud growl causing Cobra to smirk.

"Look furball, I don't gotta listen to your thoughts to know that you're thinking about fish," he said.

"Holy crap Natsu! He can hear your thoughts!" panicked Happy. "I was thinking about fish the entire time! He's really good!"

"Seriously?! That's awesome!" said Natsu excitedly. "Now do me next! Do me!"

"What the heck do you I am some kind of sideshow?" asked Cobra flatly.

Then Natsu tried his hand by saying something in his hand. A few moments passed again. This time Cobra broke into a fit of laughter.

"Oh man! I never heard that one before!" he laughed while holding his sides. "Even I gotta admit, that's pretty funny!"

"I know right?" grinned Natsu. "It really slays!" He turned to Happy. "Well it's official buddy. Guess he can hear our thoughts after all."

"Hey! What were you talking about?" pouted Happy. "I want in on the joke too!"

"I'll tell you when you're a little older," said Natsu. "Right now, we need to focus on taking this guy down. Although I don't know how we're gonna."

"Don't worry. I've got an idea," said Happy. "Although I'm not sure if it'll work though."

"Let me guess," interrupted Cobra. "You're planning to attack from the left while thinking about attacking from the right. Please, you weren't the first ones to come up with that one, so try to be a little more original. When are you gonna learn that you have no chance of winning?"

Natsu gawked at Cobra in surprise and then he started to flood his mind with multiple thoughts at once hoping to confuse Cobra, but it didn't do any good.

"Oh? That's an interesting approach," said Cobra. "But flooding your mind with multiple thoughts at once must be hard for your brain. A pretty good try, but it's gonna take a lot more than that to throw me off you dumbass."

"Hey! You're not being fair!" cried Natsu indignantly now feeling very angry. "You know what? Screw this! I'll just attack you head on!"

"I'm with you Natsu!" said Happy. "I say it's time for Plan T!"

"Take em by storm!" they both cried.

Natsu then went the attack and Cobra dodged them once again while telling what Natsu was thinking out loud.

"Right hook."

Natsu threw a right hook and Cobra side-stepped to the right.

"Followed by a left kick."

Natsu coated his left leg on fire and kicked, only to have Cobra duck dodging the blow.

"Then a right leg sweep."

Natsu then cloaked his other leg and back-kicked Cobra, but Cubellios dipped down a little making the attack miss.

"Then finish him off with a straight right punch."

Natsu then punched Cobra with a right punch with all of his strength, but Cobra dodged the attack tilting his head. Or so he thought. Cobra then felt a sting sensation on his cheek causing his eyes to widen. He looked at his cheek and was surprised to see that Natsu's attack had barely grazed it. Then before he had a chance to react, for the first time ever Natsu landed a powerful punch square into his face knocking him off Cubellios and sending him plummeting towards the ground, but luckily Cubellios was able to catch Cobra with his tail. Natsu smirked victoriously having to have finally landed a hit as he went on the attack again. Cobra tried to listen to what Natsu was thinking, so he could dodge it, but this time he couldn't hear Natsu's thought at all.

"What the hell is going on here?!" he thought. "Why can't I hear him?! It's like he's turned off his mind!"

Natsu seized this chance by punching Cobra again in the head with a downwards punch and then gave him a right-handed uppercut and then kicked him square in the stomach knocking the wind out of him. Cobra recoiled landing close to the end of Cubellios' tail. Natsu letting out a battle cry let loose one more punch at Cobra hoping to knock him off completely, but Cobra finally managed to block the attack by catching the attack with his hand.

"I don't know if you're an idiot or genius!" he smiled clearly impressed. "I've never met anyone who's been able to land this many hits on me! Well then, guess my little sideshow trick is not gonna cut it. Better start getting serious then."

Then suddenly as Cobra squeezed his hand, Natsu felt a burning and numbing sensation on his hand causing his to yell in pain. He immediately pulled his hand back and saw that it was red like it was burned.

"Natsu what's wrong?!" asked Happy worriedly. "Are you OK?!"

"My... my hand!" winced Natsu. "It hurts...!"

They both then looked up at Cobra and their eyes widened in surprise. Cobra's arms had completely changed. They were now bulkier causing the sleeves to burst off and were covered with crimson scales with smooth and milky white bottoms and his hands had turned into claws.

"I hope you're ready fire dragon," he said branding his claws. "Because now you're facing the poison dragon now! Prepare to die!"

"No way... he can't be!" murmured Happy. "Please tell me I'm seeing things..."

"You're not. I'm see it too," said Natsu. "But... he can't be..."

"This guy's a dragon slayer!" the two of them said in shock.

Then Cobra went on the attack using Cubellios to fly straight towards Natsu and Happy. His claws began to cloak with poison that was a gradient color of red and black substance and while Natsu's ignited his fists once again to retaliate. The two collided again and again causing the air to tremble from the impacts, but Cobra once again held the advantage sending Natsu flying with his attacks. Using Cubellios, Cobra then gunned straight at Natsu and with a mighty swipe of his claw released a shock wave of his poison. Luckily Natsu managed to fly upwards and dodged the waves just in time, but Cobra wasn't done there. Using Cubellios' tail as a springboard, Cobra leaped into the air cloaking his leg with poison and then gave Natsu a powerful kick to his cheek. The attack sent Natsu and Happy spiraling towards a building about to hit it, but Happy managed to change course and they were soon flying right again. Natsu shot a hand to his cheek feeling major pain from the impact, but at the same time his cheek felt very numb. In fact, his entire body was starting to go numb due to Cobra's attacks.

"Natsu! Are you OK?" asked Happy worriedly.

"I think so," said Natsu wincing in pain. "But something's weird about his attacks. Every time this guy hits me, my body gets more and more numb."

"You can thank my poison for that," said Cobra as he readied for another attack. "One single touch from a poison dragon slayer, and you'll start to decompose until your body is nothing but mush!"

"Oh yeah? Too bad your poison doesn't scare me!" Natsu growled as he too readied to attack. "I'll just burn through your poison! After all, fire beats poison any day! FIRE DRAGON: IRON FIST!"

Natsu shot straight to Cobra with another Iron Fist attack, but Cobra unleashed a spell of his own.

"FESTER AND FALL! POISON DRAGON: FANG THRUST!"

A giant stream of poison shot out from his hand giving it the appearance of some kind of serpent. The Fang Thrust and the Iron Fist collided causing a powerful explosion shaking the entire area. However, the shock from the attack sent Natsu and Happy plummeting towards the ground. To make things worse, Happy had accidentally let go of Natsu making crash into a building. Happy seeing this quickly dove straight into where Natsu crashed to find that as soon as Natsu had touched the ground, he immediately began to suffer from his motion sickness.

"You gotta be kidding me!" cried Happy. "You barely touched the ground!" He then grabbed onto Natsu's back and took him into the air again. "I'm sorry that I dropped you, but you gotta pull yourself together!"

"N-no worries..." groaned Natsu. "I'm OK... I'm fine..."

"Man Cubellios, this guy's one totally careless loser ain't he?" Cobra said to his snake companion. "I almost feel sorry for the poor guy."

"Hey! Don't be calling me a loser you jerk!" Natsu snapped angrily. "Just for that I'm gonna punch your teeth down your throat!"

He attacked again with an Iron Fist in anger, only to have Cobra dodge the attack with ease.

"Looks like I hit a nerve," he smirked. "It must be so hard for you having an empty head and a crappy disposition to boot."

"Come on Natsu! What happened? You were hitting him a minute ago," said Happy. "I thought that you weren't thinking."

"I know, but finding out that this guy's a dragon slayer's got my mind running like crazy," said Natsu. "It's kinda hard not to think right now."

"You can't let that get to your head," said Happy. "If you keep thinking then this guy's gonna keep playing mind games with you! Besides, it's not like you to think. You don't even use your brain to begin with."

Now Natsu felt insulted. "What's that supposed to mean!?" he snapped. "You trying to say that I'm a good-for-nothing idiot?!"

"Don't words in my mouth!" Happy said. "All I'm saying is that you need to do what you usually do and go with your gut! That's suits you a lot better than thinking!"

"So now you're saying I'm a meathead?!" Natsu growled angrily. "What's the deal man!? I thought you were my friend!"

As Natsu and Happy now began to fight each other, Cobra couldn't help but feel a little put off from seeing the two. However, he couldn't help but feel a little envious of them. He looked over at Cubellios and gave her a sad smile. Then he refocused and attacked Natsu and Happy hoping to take advantage of them arguing.

"POISON DRAGON: SPIRAL JAW!"

He jumped into the air till he was upside down and cloaked his legs with poison and proceeded to kick Natsu. Natsu saw the attack and countered with kick based attack of his own by cloaking his legs on fire.

"FIRE DRAGON: TALON!"

The attacks collided, but Cobra was more powerful than Natsu thanks to Cobra's attack sending Natsu and Happy flying into one of the torch lacrimas near the Royal Throne. The lacrima torch tipped over and then when it hit the ground, it exploded with a mighty boom. Fire billowed everywhere. Cobra riding on Cubellios' back flew over close to the flames to see if he had finished the job.

"There's no way he could have survived that," he said. "Guess he's nothing, but cinders now."

Then he heard a strange noise like something slurping and the flames began to disperse. He then saw Natsu who sucking up all the flames to regain his stamina and magic power.

"Well what do you know. He's eating all the fire," said Cobra. "Get ready Cubellios. We're about to have a real fight on our hands."

Soon Natsu finished eating the flames feeling and looking much better. "Oh yeah! Now I've got a fire in my belly!" he grinned.

"I gotta admit, I've never seen that before," said Cobra. "But that doesn't change anything. Now that you've had your final meal, I'd say it's time to end this!"

"Fine by me!" said Natsu.

He then used his Iron Fist once again, but Cobra dodged once again. However, instead of attacking again Natsu instead darted away from Cobra.

"Come on snake boy! Are we too fast for ya?!" he called teasing

"Why don't you come here and say that to my face?!" growled Cobra. "POISON DRAGON: SCALES!"

Cobra swung his arm and then unleashed a barrage of scale-shaped bullets of poison. Natsu using Happy dodged and weaved dodging them causing them to destroy a building causing smoke and dust to billow everywhere. Then something shot out from the dust high above, expecting it to be Natsu Cobra prepared to fight, but he was surprised to see that only Happy was flying up above. He then turned around and blocked Natsu who was hoping to catch him off guard from behind.

"You're never gonna learn, are you? I told you no matter what you try and plan, you can't hit me!" said Cobra. "I know your every move before you make it!"

"Oh yeah?! Then about how about a close-range attack?!" cried Natsu as he chuffed out his cheek. "FIRE DRAG-"

Natsu was about to use his breath attack, but Cobra prevented his by grabbing his face with a poison cloaked claw flinging him away. Luckily, Happy was able to catch Natsu before he fell.

"That was way too reckless Natsu!" the blue cat said. "What were you thinking you reckless idiot!?"

"I don't see you coming up with any ideas," pouted Natsu. "You don't need to rub it in!"

"You know what? All this is working up my appetite now," said Cobra. "Guess it's my turn to eat. Now Cubellios!"

Cubellios then opened its mouth and released a large cloud of poison and then Cobra began to suck up all the poison into his mouth.

"Oh man! He's eating the poison!" said Happy worriedly. "That can't be good!"

"No kidding," said Natsu. "I don't even know if that's even healthy..."

Then Cobra finished eating the poison wiping his lips smirking. "Now I've got a fire in my belly," he said.

"Hey! Don't steal my line you jerk!" snapped Natsu.

"Now it's time to put an end to you!" said Cobra as he began chuffing his cheeks.

Natsu and Happy immediately knew what was coming next.

"Oh crap! It's a breath attack!" cried Natsu.

"POISON DRAGON: ROAR!"

Cobra then unleashed a powerful stream of poison from his mouth. The attack barreled straight into Natsu and Happy making the two covered into poison.

Natsu was now feeling all kinds of wrong as he was now more poisoned than before, but he tried to remain strong.

"You... call that a roar? That was more like a squeak to me..." he said.

Then suddenly he began to drop towards the ground. He looked back to see that Happy was poisoned as well and was starting to feel weak.

"I feel... so weak..." groaned Happy as he tried to keep Natsu airborne.

"Happy! You gotta hang in there!" panicked Natsu. "We're losing altitude! If you don't do something quick, we're gonna die!"

"How was that?" called out Cobra. "Those who are hit by my Poison Dragon: Roar will become infected with viruses, gradually sapping away at your strength and life until you finally die. The moment my attack hit you, both of your fates were sealed. Continuing now would be pointless, so give up now and-"

"Shut your damn mouth!" roared Natsu as his magic power flared into life. At the same time, Happy managed to get his second wind and was able get Natsu back into the air. "Poison don't mean anything to us! In fact, what do you say we shut this guy up for good Happy?! Ya with me?!"

"Aye sir!" cried Happy with determination.

Cobra was shocked to see the two still having the strength to fight, but he quickly flashed a predatory grin.

"These guys either don't pay attention or they have one hell of a death wish!" he thought.

"FIRE DRAGON: WING ATTACK!"

Huge streams of fire erupted from Natsu's hands as he hurled the streams releasing a large shock wave of fire. Cobra leaped off Cubellios dodging the attack and then kicked Natsu in the stomach sending him reeling.

"I told you it's useless!" he yelled. "I can your every though and move!"

"Come on Natsu! Will you stop thinking and beat this guy already!?" cried Happy. "This is getting annoying!"

"How about you just focus on flying and stop bossing me around?!" snapped Natsu.

"Enough with your lovers spat!" interrupted Cobra. "I'd like to finish this fight sometime today, that is if an older generation dragon slayer like yourself can continue fighting."

"Wait... older generation? What do you mean by that?" asked Natsu.

"I mean that I'm a part of a new wave of dragon slayers," said Cobra. "By having a dragon slayer's lacrima implanted into my body, I was able not only use dragon slayer magic, but now I've become even more powerful than those who came before!"

"That's just like what Gramps was talking about before," said Natsu.

"Yeah! He's no different than Laxus!" said Happy indignantly. "He's a fake dragon slayer!"

"Oh please! Like your pyro friend is one to talk," scoffed Cobra. "There's no such thing as a real dragon slayer. Only dragons have the power to master such a magic and in this day and age, human's will never be able to obtain it because the dragons are long gone and extinct! Everyone knows that!"

Now Natsu was absolutely livid. He ignited his fist once again and shot straight at Cobra. "That's a filthy lie!" he yelled. "Igneel is not extinct! I know because I saw him with my owns eyes!"

He punched at Cobra in anger, but Cobra ducked out of the way. "Get real kid! If you think he's so real, then how come no one but you had seen him? POISON DRAGON: TWIN FANG!"

Cobra then swiped his hands putting them into a cross and two streams of poison that were shaped like snakes shot out at Natsu and Happy hitting them and sending them recoiling into the air. At this point, Natsu's entire body felt numb and he felt weak and he could barely move.

"Looks like the poison has circulated throughout your body," said Cobra. "In a manner of seconds, you'll rot away and die. Hope you have a pleasant trip to the afterlife old generation.

"We can't take another hit like that..." groaned Happy weakly. "We have to do something before it's too late..."

Natsu then had an idea. "Happy... I want you to drop me on top of him," he said.

"What?! Has the poison made you crazy!?" cried Happy. "You can barely move anymore, and you want me to drop you!? What are you planning to do?!"

"Just trust me..." said Natsu. "We have to end this now... before it's too late..."

Cobra who had overheard everything the two said chuckled with triumph thinking his victory was assured. "Let me guess, a full-powered Fire Dragon Roar? Come on! When are you going to learn that it's not gonna work?!" he called. "I can hear every thought and move you make!"

"Happy! Now!" Natsu yelled weakly.

Happy then let go of Natsu making him free fall straight at Cobra. Natsu then prepared to unleash his breath attack. Cobra then flashed an evil smirk and then bounced off Cubellios' tail making himself right on top of him grabbing his head with his claw.

"Give it up. You were going for a wide-spread attack, so I wouldn't be able to dodge it," he said. "Think again! You won't be able to hit me if I'm behind you!" He then stood on Natsu's head using him like a board as they both plummeted towards a building. "I'm going to crush that empty skull of yours like an egg! Say goodbye and then say hello to your dragon in the afterlife!"

"NATSU!" cried Happy in horror as he saw his friend beginning to fall to his doom.

It seemed that Natsu would soon meet his end, but then what happened next, no one knew. Perhaps it was Natsu's instinct or perhaps he was enraged because being unable to hurt Cobra. Anyway, Natsu let out a tremendous and deafening yell. The yell was so loud that it echoed throughout Nirvana. It sounded just like a dragon roaring. Cobra having to have had his ability to hear active, picked up every single wave of that yell and it was too much for him to handle.

"MY EARS!" he yelled in agony as he fell off of Natsu and hit the ground with a thud.

Happy quickly took advantage by grabbing onto Natsu's back and pulled him up to safety.

* * *

Back on the Royal Throne, Brain once again felt another pang of Brain as yet another black line on his cheek vanished.

"I don't believe it," he murmured. "Even though it was just a fluke, he defeated Cobra by using his greatest strength against him. It would appear that I've underestimated our foes... greatly."

"What should we do now master?" asked Shark. "Another one of our comrades has fallen."

"I think it should be obvious Shark," said Brain. "It's time that we take action now, but we must do so immediately before it's too late. Take me to where the dragon slayers fell."

"Understood Master," said Shark as he spread his water wings and prepared to take flight.

* * *

Happy having to have saved Natsu from falling looked down at Cobra who was now unconscious.

"Wow... that was a pretty loud yell," he murmured. "What a set of pipes..."

"Y-yeah! I totally meant to do that!" said Natsu grinning. "Just goes to show that having great hearing isn't as great as you think! My plan worked perfectly!"

"That was dumb luck and you know it," said Happy flatly. Then the poison was now catching up with him as he began to drift slowly to the ground. "Oh man... I feel so good Natsu..." he mumbled.

"Me either..." said Natsu weakly. "It's because... of his poison..."

Soon enough, Natsu and Happy came crashing to the ground falling flat on their faces unable to stay airborne. Not only that, but Natsu began to feel his motion sickness come on.

"Oh man... this sucks," he groaned trying not to throw up. "Not only can't I move... but... now I'm on a vehicle too... It can't get any worse..."

Unfortunately, it did. For right then, Cobra had regained conscious and was now standing above Natsu. He was covered with bruises and scratches and he was pissed having to have let Natsu get the upper hand on him.

"You bastard..." he growled. "I'm not finished yet... On my honor as one of the six demons, I swear with my entire being I will kill you!"

Natsu could only look up at Cobra as Cobra cloaked his hand with poison and prepared to finish off Natsu once and for all.

"I can hear it," continued Cobra as he raised up his hand preparing to strike down. "The sound of your life and the older generation of dragon slayers coming to an end! Say goodbye!"

Natsu shut his eyes and braced himself for the blow, but the blow never came. He also heard the sound of something being hit with a powerful blast of magic. He opened his eyes wondering what it was to see that Cobra had been struck from behind by someone he never would have thought would strike him, Brain. Cobra staggered as he looked back at his attacker with shock.

"You have done enough Cobra," said Brain as he lowered his staff. "You may stand down now."

"But... Brain... why...? What the hell... are you doing?!" demanded Cobra.

"You have done well. Extraordinarily in fact," said Brain. "But now you need to rest."

Then Cobra happened to listen to Brain's thoughts which revealed his true intentions of attacking him.

"How pathetic. What good is false dragon slayer to me? Especially one that could be so easily beaten by someone from an official guild," he heard him say. "Besides, I have a real dragon slayer by my side, so now there's no need for this trash anymore."

Cobra started at Brain at utter disbelief and his eyes filled up with tears of anger and betrayal as Brain chuckled evilly at him. He couldn't even believe what he had just heard.

"Oops. I'm very sorry. Did you hear that?" mocked Brain as he laughed even louder.

"How... how dare you!" yelled Cobra as he turned around fully towards his attacker. "You traitor! I'll make you pay for that!"

Having the strength to move and now completely overtaken with rage, Cobra leaped towards Brain cloaking his hand with poison in an attempt to take his revenge on the man. But then, someone barred his way and planted a powerful fist right in his gut intercepting him. Cobra looked down at the fist coughing up a little blood and looked up at the person who the fist belonged to.

"Shark..." he croaked. "Not you too..."

"I am sorry Cobra," said Shark. "But my master has ordered me to eliminate you, as you are no use to him anymore. In addition, anyone who dares to defy or harm my master shall pay the price. Even if you were an ally."

Shark punched Cobra again and making him stagger and then summoned his oil-colored water sword and shot past Cobra in a speed that he couldn't follow. A few seconds passed, and Cobra's chest burst with blood as two gashes in a cross on his chest appeared. He coughed tasting the blood in his mouth as he sank to his knees beginning to black out. As he started to fall unconscious, he remembered back to when he was child at the Tower of Heaven. He could remember that fateful day to when he met a certain purple snake.

"My prayer... was to hear my one true friend's voice..." he thought. "That was all I ever wanted more than anything else..."

Just before he fell, he looked at his friend in particular who appeared to be confused as to what was going on.

"Cubellios..." he mumbled as he fell to the ground succumbing to his wounds.

Natsu having to have seen everything couldn't help, but feel sorry for Cobra. Not even he deserved to be treated like that even if he was his enemy. He looked at Brain with an angry scowl as he struggled to his knees.

"How could... you do that to him?" he spoke weakly, but angrily. "I thought... that he was your friend..."

"With the power I have at my disposal, I will have no problem gathering more friends," said Brain. "Nirvana will make it so."

"Is that what you think friends are?!" growled Natsu. "You don't get those... with power and intimidation! That's nothing more... but a puppet!"

"Come now. There's no need to be so hostile," said Brain coolly. "After all, your power's proven to be quite intriguing. It would be good if I have a friend like you." He then smiled evilly and dangerously at Natsu. "Or to be put it in your words... to have you as my puppet. My second one at that."

"Second one?" wondered Natsu. "What do you mean... by that?"

But Brain ignored Natsu as he turned towards Shark. "Shark. I want you to take this dragon slayer with us," he said. "He may prove to be very useful to me."

"Understood Master," said Shark.

Brain the grabbed Natsu by the collar of his shirt and started dragging him along the ground heading back to the Royal Throne with Shark close behind.

* * *

 _I know, I know. Another chapte_ _r without Shark._

 _Some of you are getting bored and are about to go bat crazy insane for lack of Shark and boredom, and I know I've said this before, but I'll say it again._

 _Fear not! Hang in there a little longer!_

 _This much I promise you. Things will get insane in the next chapter!_

 _Until then... Dragoman out!_


	47. Chapter 47 An Unexpected Reveal

_Another chapter up and running!_

 _First and foremost, I really much apologize for not uploading in a while. I've been sick, but now I'm back and up and running._

 _Enjoy the read!_

* * *

Chapter 47

An Unexpected Reveal

 _ **A few moments earlier...**_

Gray and Lucy had finally managed to get through the opening before they separated from Natsu and managed to make it into the ruins of the city.

"So... do you have any idea what this place is?" Gray asked Lucy. "I was expecting Nirvana to be some kind of magic. Not a bunch of rubble and broken-down buildings.

"Well aside of the fact that we're in some ruins on top of a monster's back, I have no clue," said Lucy. "Although if I had to guess, I'm guessing it was some kind of city, but if it was, where are all the people and what happened to them?"

"That is an excellent question. Oh yeah!" said a voice coming from behind them just up above. "This is a city. A city that is known as Nirvana."

"And seeing the two of you here is not only reassuring," said another voice. "But it puts the odds in our favor."

Gray and Lucy immediately turned around to see that Jura and Hoteye stood above a building. Gray and Lucy were surprised to see the pair.

"Hold on! That's the guy from Lyon's guild!" said Gray.

"And one of the Oración Seis?!" exclaimed Lucy with surprise.

"What the heck is going on?!" the two of them exclaimed.

"There's no need to be concerned," assured Jura as he and Hoteye came up to them. "Hoteye here is now on our side. We were actually about to duke it out, but then he had a change of heart."

"Indeed!" said Hoteye brightly. "It was then that I realized that all you need is love! Oh yeah!"

Needless to say, that Gray and Lucy were now even more surprised to see Hoteye's newest behavior. They looked at each other a bit baffled.

"Gray, isn't this the guy who was screaming "money this" and money that" before?" Lucy asked.

"I guess so," said Gray shrugging. "For all we know, Baldy either used enlightenment magic or beat some sense into him. Also makes me remember what happened to Sherry, only in her case she changed for the worst."

"Wait... Sherry!? Is she OK?!" exclaimed Jura. "Where is she?!"

"Don't worry. She's fine," said Gray. "Before we ended up here, we left her with Lyon, so she's safe."

"Well that's good," sighed Jura with relief.

"In any case... Hoteye right? You were telling us about this city being called Nirvana," said Lucy turning to the man. "Could you tell us about it?"

"But of course," said Hoteye bowing. "This city was once a place where an ancient tribe called the Nirvits lived. Oh yeah."

"The Nirvits?" puzzled Gray. "I've never heard of them."

"I wouldn't be surprised if you did considering that there's no record of them," continued Hoteye. "They lived around four-hundred years ago during a time when the world was engulfed in war. The Nirvits being peaceful people tried to remain neutral, but sadly the bloodshed was so terrible they felt they had to intervene and, so created a type of magic that would help maintain balance to the world. Oh yeah!"

"Don't tell me," began Lucy. "That magic was-"

"Nirvana. That's right," finished Hoteye as he continued. "A powerful spell that's capable of switching light and darkness. That name was given to it to symbolize their desire for peace. Oh yeah!"

"Now I get it," said Lucy. "This city of ruins is Nirvana itself."

"Man. So, Nirvana was given its name because the Nirvits wanted peace," said Gray. "But now it's instead being used for destruction by someone evil. How's that for irony?"

"It's really sucks though," said Lucy. "I'm all for the balance and peace stuff, but now I wish that they could just make Nirvana change darkness into light only. That way we wouldn't even have to be in this mess."

"I doubt that the Nirvits expected that their creation would be used for evil, so it can't be helped," said Jura. "And besides, criminals can find the dark side to even the most constructive of magics."

"In any case, Nirvana's activation is serious trouble for the entire world," said Hoteye. "We must destroy it at any cost! Oh yeah!"

Then suddenly torches with flame lacrimas on them began lighting up all around the pillar in the middle of the city catching the four's attention.

"What's going on?" wondered Gray.

"They're lighting up," said Lucy.

"No doubt Brain's behind it. Oh yeah," said Hoteye. "He's most likely controlling this city from the royal throne in the center. However, Brain is not able to use his magic while he's in control, so it would be the perfect chance for us to strike! Oh yeah!"

"Controlling it? Does that mean that he's taking it somewhere in particular?" asked Gray.

"I would believe that he is," said Hoteye. "However, I do not know where, for Brain didn't share that part of his plan with us. Probably because he forgotta mention it."

"Not true," said a cold and chilling voice. "It was because Father didn't trust the rest of you enough to tell you. Only I know of his plans."

Everyone snapped their heads toward the direction towards the voice. There standing on another building was Midnight. Upon seeing him, Hoteye's eyes narrowed.

"Hello Midnight," he greeted sounding solemn.

"It's that creepy guy who's always sleeping!" yelped Lucy.

"One of the Oración Seis," added Gray.

As he jumped down from the building landing in front of them, he kept a neutral expression, but his voice was soaked with venom. Not only that, but as he spoke he appeared to jump from one place to another like some kind of phantom.

"Hoteye. I can't believe that you betrayed us," he said now behind the building. "I didn't think you'd have the guts."

"I haven't betrayed anyone," said Hoteye as Midnight now was beside the building. "I've merely came to realize the error of Brain's misguided ways."

"What was that? You're saying that Father is wrong?" demanded Midnight as he now appeared behind Lucy and Gray. "Why don't you come over here and say that to my face?"

"How is he doing that?" asked Gray uneasily. "And what do you mean about this "Father" stuff?"

"Maybe they're a related by blood family that's working together?" puzzled Lucy.

"I wouldn't say that. I'd say that he's misguided because he truly believes that people's hearts can be changed by magic," said Hoteye. "But only love has the power to make even the weakest hearts strong. Oh yeah!"

"Is that so?" asked Midnight.

Then what happened next caught everyone by surprise even Hoteye. Midnight eye's sharply hardened as he shot a terrifying glare while releasing a shock wave of his magic power. The magic waves of Midnight's attack seemed to slice the buildings like cheese as the rubble fell to the ground. Dust and pebbles flew everywhere. When the dust cleared out, Jura, Lucy, and Gray found themselves in a small pit with Hoteye standing in front of them.

"Anyone know what the heck just happened?" mumbled Gray.

"Hoteye saved us by using his magic to melt the ground beneath us, so we wouldn't be hit," said Jura. "But it happened, so fast that even I barely see it."

"There's no time to lose now!" called Hoteye. "Get to the Royal Throne as fast as you can and stop Brain. I'll stay here and hold off Midnight!"

"Are you sure?" asked Lucy worriedly.

"You needn't worry. Besides, all the Oración Seis are equal in power!" replied Hoteye.

"Is that what you think Hoteye?" scoffed Midnight. "Do you honestly think that you're a match for me?"

Hoteye glared at Midnight and then went of the attack. "EARTH MAGIC LIQUID GROUND!"

An amber magic circle appeared before him and in front of Hoteye the ground melted and then turned into a giant tidal wave of earth. Midnight didn't move and with a wave of his hand blew the wave away like it was nothing. As Gray, Lucy, and Jura climbed out of the pit, they couldn't but be awed by this fight that was unfolding.

"This is crazy. Two of the Oración Seis duking it out with each other," said Gray.

"Definitely a crazy turn of events," said Lucy. "Then again they're not exactly all about peace and harmony."

"Hoteye! Are you sure?" asked Jura. "We can help you!"

"Yes, I am," said Hoteye. "Now quickly! Get going!" Then he turned around and smiled. "Also, I would prefer it that you didn't call me that anymore. My real name is Richard. Oh yeah!"

The three were hesitant, but they heeded Hoteye's request and took off towards the Royal Throne.

When he was sure that his friends were out of harm's way, Hoteye turned back to Midnight who was now scowling at him in disgust.

"Revealing your true name to the enemy... you really have fallen Hoteye," he said. "This is low even for you."

"I have no need for a codename now that I've opened myself to love!" Hoteye said defiantly as he prepared himself for battle. "Now prepare yourself Midnight! As I defeat you using the power of love! Oh yeah!"

* * *

 ** _Now..._**

Jura, Gray, and Lucy took off running towards the Royal Throne in the hopes to find Brain and stop his evil plans. They kept on running until the heard the sounds of battle close to the Royal Throne, then they saw one of the torch lacrima around the Royal Throne fall and cause a huge explosion spreading fire everywhere.

"What was that?!" exclaimed Jura as he ran. "Is one of our allies fighting?"

"Yeah. And I bet I know who caused that over-the-top explosion," said Gray smirking. "It's gotta be Natsu."

"I'll say this much," said Lucy. "He certainly makes it easier for us to find him."

The three then headed towards the direction of the flames. The flames had eventually died down and then suddenly they heard a loud inhuman bellow which made the three stop running.

"What the heck is all that screaming?" wondered Gray. "It almost sounds inhuman!"

"Please don't let it be some kind of monster!" squeaked Lucy fearfully.

"I don't know where it could be," said Jura.

Then suddenly, they heard something fall to the ground close to their location making them head straight from where the object fell. Soon enough, they came around a corner and then they saw them. There was Natsu who was being dragged by the scarf across the ground by Brain with Shark right by him.

"Look! There he is!" pointed Gray.

"Nastu! Are you alright?!" called out Lucy worriedly. "What happened to you!?"

Natsu responded with a sickly groan as he was still motion sick. "It's... still moving..." he whimpered trying to fight back the bile. "I... can't take it... it's... still a vehicle..."

Then Lucy saw Happy who was lying on the ground a few feet away looking very pale for a cat his color. "Oh man! Happy! Not you too!"

"Don't worry," said Jura. "It seems that Sir Cat is still alive."

"Guys... please help..." groaned Happy. "You gotta save Natsu... Brain and Shark are planning to... take him away..."

"There are now three of the six demons left. Our numbers have basically been cut in half," said Brain with a frown, but that frown quickly changed into an evil grin. "So, in order to stop the bleeding in our ranks, I will fortify and restore them starting with the one."

"You gotta be kidding," growled Gray. "I should have known that something like would happen, but I never imagined someone from a dark guild would actually try and force Natsu to their side."

"You must be out of your mind if you think a hard head like Natsu's gonna join you!" said Lucy scowling. "There's no way that will ever happen!"

"Oh, he will," said Brain. "Once Nirvana darkens his heart and changes him, he will gladly do my bidding and our goals and fates will become-"

Then Brain was rudely interrupted by Natsu. "In your dreams bub!" he snarled as he bit down hard on Brain's forearm.

Brain glared at Natsu in a mixture on anger and disgust. "You still have the strength to fight me?!" he growled. Using his strength alone, he lifted Natsu into the air and then slammed him to the ground forcing him to let go. Natsu once again felt his sickness overwhelm him making his willpower shrink immediately.

"It's... no good... I'm still... so sick..." he gulped.

Jura was a little worried. "That boy appears to not look well."

"He'll be fine," said Gray. "He's just not good at riding vehicles."

"I see," said Jura. "So, the spirit's strong, but the stomach is weak?"

"More or less," said Gray. "Really gets in the way of things."

"Guys... please... help me..." whimpered Natsu. "Please... beat these guys... and stop... this crazy thing..."

"Oh, don't worry. We're gonna beat em alright," said Gray turning his attention towards Brain and Shark. "But it's not just gonna be for your sake."

"You got that right," said Lucy nodding in agreement.

At this point, Brain began releasing a dark aura representing his magic powers.

"Oh, is that so? You'll stop us and Nirvana?" asked Brain coolly. "Go ahead and try your best, but you had better not waste any time. This city is fast approaching its first target- The Cait Shelter Guild Hall."

Everyone's eyes widened in shock upon hearing that name.

"That's the guild that Wendy and Carla belong to," spoke Happy. "But... why them?"

"I would like to know that as well," said Jura. "What could you possibly hope to gain from the loss of Wendy's and Carla's guild Brain? State your objective."

Brain chuckled darkly. "The world on its head," he answered. "In the blink of an eye, this magic will make that guild of light be consumed by the darkness. Oh, the things we shall see. What hellish horrors will await us?"

"You're insane and a monster!" said Lucy angrily. "There's no way we're gonna let that happen to them!"

"Yeah! You're not gonna get away with this, you worthless scumbag!" added Gray.

Then suddenly Lucy and Gray felt a powerful surge of magic power which made them both stiffen with fear. They both turned around to find that Jura was glaring daggers of anger straight at Brain glowing in a gold aura of his magic power.

"You still haven't answered me," he spoke in a demanding and threatening tone. "What do you hope to gain?"

Brain then began to laugh maniacally at Jura's repeated question ignoring his angry intent. "I don't have to answer to small fry like you! I hold the reigns of light and darkness in my own hands!" he cackled. "You should be kneeling before me and asking me for one thing- for mercy!"

As Brain continued to laugh, Jura then stepped forward.

"What a bothersome fool," he sighed in annoyance. "He's so delusional that he can't even hold a decent conversation."

"Pops? What are you gonna do?" asked Gray.

Then Brain prepared to attack pointing his staff at Jura about to unleash his Dark Rondo. "Did you not hear me? I asked you to kneel-"

Suddenly in a flash, Jura extended his hand with his index and middle fingers pointing and several chunks of rock rose from the surface on the ground. Then the rocks were launched with an extreme amount of force barreling right towards Brain. Once more, Shark jumped right in front of Brain and slammed his fists into the ground causing a massive blast of power to erupt from the ground shielding himself and Brain. However, Jura's attack went right through Shark's shield and slammed right into them causing dust and wind to whip about everywhere. Natsu, Gray, Lucy, and Happy were stupefied by what they had just witnessed. When the dust cleared even Brain who was now in a pile of rubble with Shark who was on the ground was shocked by the power Jura had just unleashed.

"Im... impossible... " he murmured as he stared at Jura. "His magic power... it's incredible. He was even able to break through Shark's shield."

"Oh man... Looks like Baldy ain't messing around," murmured Gray.

"Yeah... I'd say he's pretty serious," said Lucy.

"Well... Jura is one of the Ten Wizard Saints," said Happy. "So, of course he's super strong."

"Stand up!" ordered Jura. "I will not let you rest until you explain why you're targeting Cait Shelter!"

Brain then got back up on his feet. "I must admit, you surprised me," he said. "But I guess your title as a Wizard Saint isn't just for show."

"I know for a fact that there are many other guilds that are closer than Cait Shelter," said Jura. "To go so far out of your way to simply target that one guild alone means that you have a specific purpose."

"What's the point of answering someone who will soon be dead?" asked Brain as he raised his staff preparing to unleash a spell. "By the time I reach there, you'll be nothing more, but a fading memory! DARK RONDO!"

Brain then unleashed his signature spell at right him threatening to obliterate him. Jura stood there calmly and then used a spell of his own.

"IRON ROCK WALL!"

With one gesture of his fingers, three cuboid pillars shot out from the ground making a wall protecting him from Brain's attack.

"Holy crap!" cried Gray.

"That was totally amazing, and a little scary," commented Lucy.

Jura then jumped onto the pillars that he created and looked down at Brain. "It is pointless to keep attacking me," he boomed. "And you also haven't answered my question Brain. What is the reason that you are targeting Cait Shelter?"

"And why do my reasons matter to you?" snapped Brain.

He then fired another Dark Rondo at Jura, but Jura once more blocked the attack by using his Iron Rock Wall to defend.

"I told you that it's pointless to attack me," he said.

Brain flashed a sly smile. "Are they now?" he said coolly.

Jura raised a brow and then someone appeared right behind him holding his sword ready to strike him down from behind.

"Oh no! Look out!" cried Lucy. "They're planning to gang up on him!"

"Hey old man! Incoming!" yelled Gray.

Jura looked back to see that Shark was right on top of him with a black water sword at the ready. With a yell, Shark swung his blade aiming for Jura's chest, but Jura immediately used his magic to break a chunk off the surface of a pillar and fired at Shark. Shark was sent flying and began to plummet straight to the ground.

"Alright! He got him!" cheered Gray. "Nice shot!"

Then before he could hit the ground, Shark's oil colored water wings sprang forth from his back and with a mighty flap. He took off into the air saving himself from falling. Gray and Lucy eyes widened at this.

"What the heck?! He grew wings!" cried Lucy.

"Did he copy Happy or something?!" wondered Gray.

Shark then attacked again by releasing dark black streams of water from his hands and then hurled them towards Jura creating a shock wave of water. Jura retaliated by making another cuboid shaped pillar of rock appear to block the blow. Then Brain suddenly reappeared right behind Jura from below using an incredible speed.

"I have you now! DARK CAPRICCIO!"

He aimed his staff and fired another blast of magic power. This time instead of a stream of green, the blast was in a spiral of green and amber and appeared to be like a drill. Jura quickly defended by waving his arm swinging it forward and then one of the pillars of rock to bent and twisted in front of him and collided with the attack. It seemed that the two attacks were resulting in a stalemate, but Brain's attack began to make the rock crumble and crack. Sure enough, the Dark Capriccio drilled right through the rock making Jura forced to jump out of the way before the attack hit him. Shark then swooped in and attacked hoping to take advantage. He conjured another sword made of black water and dashed straight at Jura.

"Oh no! Jura watch out!" cried Lucy.

Luckily, someone saved Jura just in the nick of time. He jumped in front of him and blocked Shark's sword using a sword of his own made of ice. The two locked their swords together and then separated jumping a few feet away from each other.

"Oh man! This is nuts!" cried Lucy. "I don't which is even more impressive! The fact that Brain was able to pierce through Jura's rock or Gray being able to block that Shark guy!"

"Sir Gray. Thank you for the assist," said Jura.

"No problem Gramps," said Gray. "Besides, I don't find two against one to be very fair. Leave this Shark guy to me! You focus on Brain!"

"Very well," said Jura. "But be careful."

"Hold on Gray! I want to fight too!" said Lucy. "If you're gonna be fighting, then you're gonna need help!"

"No Lucy. Stay out of this," said Gray. "This guy's all mine. I can take him."

"But Gray! You can't take him on all by yourself!" protested Lucy. "Not when you're facing a member of the Oración Seis! Take it from me, I was lucky to even defeat that Angel girl if it wasn't for Hibiki's help!"

"Have a little faith Luce," said Gray. "Besides, you're not the only one who managed to beat a member. I beat one once before, and I'll do it again. Just leave it to me."

Lucy was still reluctant, but he nodded abiding by Gray's request.

"You must be kidding," chuckled Brain. "Do you honestly think that you have a chance of defeating Shark? There's a reason why he's my most trusted bodyguard. He's one of the most powerful members of the Oración Seis I've ever had the pleasure of having."

"Oh yeah? We'll just see about that," said Gray cracking his knuckles. "If you're trying to scare us, it ain't gonna work. We're still gonna take you down."

"Very well then," said Brain. "If you wish to die that badly, who am I to stop you? It would certainly save me the trouble of taking care of the rest of you after I'm done here." He then turned to his loyal bodyguard. "Shark. I want you to clean up the rest of this trash for me while I deal with the Wizard Saint. Is that understood?"

"Understood Master," said Shark bowing. "It shall be done."

Shark then looked at his two new opponents. He may have been wearing a face mask making his face hidden, but Gray could tell that he was looking at him with an intent to fight and obey his master's orders.

"I guess I'll be taking out two of these guys instead of one," he said to himself as he took his stance to use his Ice Make magic.

Shark held out his hands and then created two black water swords from his hands. He spun the around skillfully before bringing them down at his side as he walked towards Gray.

"Prepare yourself lowly wizard," said Shark. "By the order of my master, you must be eliminated."

"Bring it on ninja boy," said Gray. "Because the one who's gonna get eliminated today is gonna be you! ICE MAKE: LANCE!"

Gray then made the first move by unleashing a wave of lances. Shark ran straight at them and using his swords slashed the lances away shattering them as he grew closer to Gray. When he swung his swords, Gray leaped back and gained some distance and then unleashed another spell.

"ICE MAKE: SAUCER!"

He created a giant disc of ice with blades giving it the appearance of a buzz saw. It rapidly spun around whirring and shot straight towards Shark. Shark seeing the attack coming immediately leaped up dodging the attack and the dashed straight towards Gray with his swords poised. Gray then made two swords of his own and met Shark half-way, the two engaged in an all-out sword battle. Their swords clashed and clanged as the two fought relentlessly.

As Gray and Shark fought, Brain and Jura turned their attention towards each other and prepared to resume their battle.

"I would suggest you give up Wizard Saint! Your defenses are pointless!" Brain smirked. "The Dark Capriccio pierces through everything in its path! It will render that rock as ineffective as paper!"

"You may want to rethink your claim," said Jura.

"That's true, if running is your defensive," Brain shot back. "So, Wizard Saint what will you do now? Is that how you're planning to proceed? DARK CAPRICCIO!"

"IRON ROCK WALL!"

Brain fired another Dark Capriccio while Jura once more used his Iron Rock Wall to defend the attack. Brain laughed with triumph as his Dark Capriccio drilled through one pillar after another getting closer and closer to Jura.

"Doubling down again? It seems that you're running out of ideas," he cackled. "You're just delaying the inevitable! No matter how many walls you put up, my Dark Capriccio will eventually reach you!"

"Another foolish claim!" Jura shot back. "We'll just see about that!"

Jura placed two fingers on the ground and a gold magic circle appeared beneath him. Just as the Dark Capriccio pierced through one of the pillars, the rock bent around and sent the attack shooting upwards making the attack miss.

Brain was surprised and annoyed. "Another evasion?"

Gray and Shark still clashed with their swords clanging, both of them attempting to overpower one another. However, when it came to swordsmanship Shark was superior. When Gray swung his swords, Shark easily parried or blocked the blows, but Gray wouldn't give in. He swung, and he swung, but still Shark avoided the attacks. Then when Gray swung again, Shark brought his swords down and sliced right through Gray's ice swords like they were butter causing Gray's eyes to widen in shock. Shark also smacked Gray in the jaw with the hilt and then kicked him square in his stomach sending him skidding on the ground. Gray managed to stand up, but he now had a small bruise on his cheek and felt the wind knocked out of him. He wiped his cheek and then noticed something wet on it. He looked at his hand and saw the black water on it.

"What is this stuff? Some kind of oil water?" he wondered.

Shark went on the attack again his swords poised and aimed for Gray. He jumped into the air and swung his swords downward right towards Gray. Gray immediately put his fist into his palm and cast another spell.

"ICE MAKE: HAMMER!"

Immediately, a large hammer of ice appeared right above Shark and swung down about to flatten him, but Shark crossed his swords with blocked the giant hammer. The impact caused a small crater underneath Shark's feet. Then with a mighty swing, Shark sliced the hammer in half causing the two halves to fall to the ground with a booming thud. Gray's eyes widened in shock.

"No way! He sliced right through it!" he cried.

"Gray! Look out!" cried Lucy.

Gray looked in time to see that Shark had now transformed his swords into large shurikens. He took aim and then flung them straight at him. They zipped and whizzed through the air so fast, that Gray barely had time to dodge them by bending back. The shurikens flew right past him and pierced deep in the wall behind him.

"Oh man! That was close," said Gray. "If I had gotten hit, I would have lost an arm or a leg." He then looked at Shark who stood there with a neutral expression on his face. "Damn it... this guy's even tougher than I expected. "

Brain looked back at Shark and then looked back at Jura. "Shark. Well done, but you could do better that," he said. "I want you to crush your enemy! Show no mercy and make sure you give them a swift death!"

"Understood Master," Shark replied.

Shark then began to release a powerful magic aura that was colored dark blue and black. Gray then put up his guard feeling the waves of Shark's magic power. Then Shark's hands were cloaked with the oil-colored black water and then he went on the attack dashing straight towards Gray in speed that was faster than before. Before Gray could react, Shark slammed him in the face with a powerful punch. Gray tumbled on the ground from the blow and tried to get back up, but Shark was already on him. He cloaked his leg with that same oil-colored water with his leg and kicked him right in his gut. Gray was sent flying once again until he hit the wall on one of the buildings.

"Oh no! Gray!" cried Lucy. "Are you alright?!"

"Never been... better..." groaned Gray. "I'm alright."

Then Shark suddenly appeared before Gray and threw another punch at him. Gray luckily managed to dodge the blow just in time and got out of the way.

"ICE MAKE: LANCE!"

He then unleashed another barrage of ice lances right at Shark, but Shark cloaked his hands in water and then slammed them into the ground and then a large wall-like geyser erupted from the ground and blocked the incoming attack.

"What the heck?! A geyser!?" exclaimed Gray. "Just what kind of magic does he use anyway?"

He then brought his fist to his palm and then used another spell.

"ICE MAKE: DEATH SCYTHE!"

He created a scythe made of ice and jumped into the air and dive-bombed straight towards Shark. Using his fall for increased momentum, Gray swung down at Shark using all of his strength. This time Shark raised his hand and then caught the scythe by raising his hand. Gray's eyes widened in shock.

"What the heck?! How did he..."

Shark then pulled Gray towards him while he was still holding his scythe and gave him a mighty punch again sending him flying into another building with a crash. Dust and rubble flew everywhere. Gray then stepped out from the newly made hole in the building coughing. He then looked up at Shark and saw something that made his eyes widen with surprise. Shark still holding onto the ice scythe started to do something unexpected. He took a bite from the scythe and started to eat it biting off chunks and chewing the ice in his mouth.

"What the hell is that guy doing?!" cried Gray.

"He's... he's eating the ice!" murmured Lucy. "But why the heck would he do something like that?!"

"Guys... be careful..." called out Happy. "That Shark guy's some kind of dragon slayer!"

"A dragon slayer?!" exclaimed Lucy and Gray. "You can't be serious!"

Sure enough, when Shark had his fill of eating Gray's scythe, he took a deep breath chuffing his cheeks. Then he unleashed a giant steam of oil colored water right at Gray. Gray immediately went on the defensive.

"ICE MAKE: SHIELD!"

He put his fist into his palm again and then made a large shield of ice that was shaped like a flower in front of him. The blast of water shot against the shield as the stream of water continued to shoot at it. Gray grunted and grit his teeth as he tried his best to keep his shield up. Shark continued his attack flaring up his magic power. Then Gray's shield started to crack. At the rate it was going, it would soon break.

"Oh no! His shield's breaking!" cried Lucy. "You gotta get out of there Gray!"

Having no other option, Gray quickly dove for cover as the blast of Shark's finally broke through his shield. The blast surged just above going right past Jura and Brain and towards Natsu. Natsu eyes widened as cried in fear and lied down on the ground as flat as possible as the blast surged past him and blasted right through the building behind him causing a massive explosion. Then Natsu began to have that feeling of Deja-vu once again. This time, he remembered where he had saw that attack before. Back when he was a kid, he was in the exact same position before when he was fighting a person he knew. A person that was a dragon slayer just like he was. Then his eyes widened. He remembered how he fought Shark when they scuffled and back when he fought that person when he was a kid. He also remembered the scent when he smelled them, the smell of fish. Both of their fighting styles were very familiar including the blast attacks and even their scent was familiar which only meant one thing.

"No way..." he murmured. "It can't be... it can't be him!"

Lucy who was still watching from the sidelines was now drenched.

"Oh man! Virgo just gave me these clothes!" she complained. "If I had known I was going to need an umbrella, I would have asked her from one!"

Then she rushed over to Gray who had straightened up and shook the water out from his head.

"Gray are you ok?" she asked.

"I'm fine, but that was close," Gray said. "Well at least I know that Happy was right about him being a dragon slayer. He ate my ice to regain his power, so I'm assuming that he's a water dragon slayer."

"A water dragon slayer huh? Do you think you can take him?" wondered Lucy.

"Of course, I can," said Gray. "Even if he's a dragon slayer like Natsu, I don't plan on losing to this guy! He's going down!"

He took his stance and prepared to use a spell to attack. Shark seeing Gray about to attack dashed straight towards him with his fist raised and cloaked with black water. Then suddenly he heard Natsu.

"Gray! Don't attack him! You gotta stop!"

Gray looked back towards Natsu. "What?! Natsu, what are you talking about?"

"Trust me on this! You gotta stop fighting him! He's not who you think he is!" Natsu said.

"Natsu what's the matter with you?" asked Lucy. "You look freaked out."

Shark seeing that Gray distracted immediately shot straight towards him hoping to catch him off guard cloaking his fists with oil-colored water. Gray then turned his attention back towards Shark and immediately countered.

"ICE MAKE: ARROWS!"

He created a large bow of ice and unleashed a wave of ice arrows that shot towards Shark at a high speed. Shark having no time to use his shield, braced himself crossing his arms as he was hit by the barrage of arrows. The arrows sent him skidding back and made him tumble on the ground, but he quickly regained himself and landed on his feet.

"Ha! Finally nailed you!" smirked Gray. "How'd you like-"

Then Gray stopped in place seeming like he was frozen. His eyes were wide in a mixture of shock, horror, and utter disbelief.

"No way... it can't be... it's not possible..." he murmured.

"Gray! What's the matter?" asked Lucy worriedly. "Why do you look so freaked out?"

Then she turned towards Natsu and saw that he was just as shocked as he was. Now Lucy was puzzled, she then saw the reason why. Shark then stood up having to have some tears on his clothes. The face mask that was covering the upper half of his face was in tatters revealing parts of his face including an eye glowing green.

"It's... it's him," said Gray. "I can't believe this... what the hell is he doing here!? I thought that he died!"

"Gray what's wrong?" asked Lucy now more worried and confused than ever. "Do you know this guy or something?"

"Of course, I do," said Gray who now shaking. "But... I can't believe it's him..."

Then seeing that his mask was damaged then took it off revealing his face to everyone and Gray said the name of Shark's true identity.

"Willy Falconer."

* * *

 _Shark's true identity has been revealed to his friends after six years!_

 _What will happen now that Gray knows who he is?_

 _Stay tuned for the next chapter!_

 _Dragoman out!_


	48. Chapter 48 The Brains and Shark Fall

_Hey everyone! Last chapter, you guys wanted more Willy?_

 _You got it!_

* * *

Chapter 48

The Brains and Shark Fall

Everyone seemed to be frozen in their tracks. Even Jura and Brain who were locked in their battle stopped to see what was going on. Gray along with Natsu who was still lying on the ground were staring at the man in front of them that was Willy with shock not believing who they were seeing. Jura then went over to Gray and Lucy.

"Is something the matter Sir Gray?" he asked. "You appear to be-"

Then he saw Willy's face and his eyes widened.

"Impossible! It can't be!" he murmured. "That's Willy Falconer!"

"Hold on a sec, you know this guy too?" asked Lucy.

"Yes. I have," said Jura. "I can well remember that face. Makarov showed me a photo a couple years ago. He told me that he was searching for that boy who had mysteriously disappeared from Magnolia six years ago."

Lucy then remembered. "That's right. Erza mentioned something about that," she said. "But is that really him? I mean maybe it's a look alike?"

"No. It's him alright," said Gray. "Without a doubt. I know it's been six years since I last saw him, but that's definitely him."

Brain then appeared next to Shark or rather Willy with an amused expression on his face. "Oh? It would seem that you are acquainted with my bodyguard," he said

Gray glared at Brain. "You bastard!" he snarled. "Why is Willy with you and what the hell did you do to him?!"

Brain smiled darkly. "I thought it would have been obvious," he said coolly. "I came across this boy and made him my own personal bodyguard. After all, this boy possesses incredible amounts of magic power due to being a dragon slayer, not to mention a very interesting ability. I even was able to witness the full extent of his powers first hand. Once I saw them, I had to make this boy mine. So, I arranged to have him transferred to my facility, so I could... tweak him a bit to my liking."

"Then it was you," growled Gray. "You were the one who kidnapped Willy!"

"Kidnap? I would prefer the term recruited," said Brain chuckling.

"So, you're not only target Cait Shelter, but you're responsible for his disappearance and made him your puppet," said Jura glaring dangerously at Brain. "You're really are a despicable man Brain."

Brain smirked. "Like I care what you think," he said. Then he turned towards Willy. "Shark. Now that they know who you are, we cannot afford to leave them alive. Take the ice wizard and celestial wizard while I finish Wizard Saint."

"Understood Master," said Willy as he slowly began walking towards his prey.

"Willy! Listen to me! You gotta snap out of it man!" yelled Gray. "We're not your enemy!"

"It's no use," said Brain. "No matter how hard you try to reason with him, Willy only obeys me."

Willy's fists were once more cloaked with the oil-colored water as he walked towards Gray and the others.

"What should we do now?" asked Lucy worriedly looking at Gray. "I don't know if it's a good idea to fight a friend like this."

"We have no choice in the matter," said Jura. "If we plan to defeat our foes, we must fight until they defeated them."

Gray felt his heart leap from hearing that. He clenched his fist not sure what he should do. He didn't want to hurt Willy now that was revealed to be Shark. He had been hoping he would see Willy again after all this time, but not under these circumstances. However, he did know that Jura was right. Brain and Willy had to be stopped, if they didn't Nirvana would soon reach Cait Shelter and who knows what else could happen. And in order to prevent that, Gray had to steel his heart and stop Willy.

"Hey old man," said Gray. "You take care of Brain for me OK? I'll handle Willy."

"Are you sure about this Gray?" asked Lucy. "You're going to be fighting against a friend."

"I don't think have a choice," said the ice wizard. "Besides, Pops said it himself. We need to focus on defeating Brain right now. Willy may be a friend, but right now he's still our enemy."

"Very well then," said Jura. "But be careful Sir Gray. He might absorb your ice to regain his power."

"Don't worry Pops. I won't fall for the same thing twice," said Gray. "This time, I'll beat Willy and save him too. You just watch!"

He then turned towards Willy and started walking towards him too ready to fight him once again.

"I'm sorry Willy," he thought to himself. "I know that it's not your fault that you're like this, but I gotta take you down and hopefully get you to snap out of it."

Willy and Gray slowly walked towards each other and then the two sped up running straight towards each other until they collided with their fists and resumed their battle.

As for Jura, he glared at Brain even harder. "Since those two are currently occupied, I suppose we'll resume our fight," he said. "Release that boy from your hold and explain why you're targeting Cait Shelter and I will let you go without harming you."

"Now you're trying to reason now? Don't make me laugh," said Brain. "Besides, now that I've found Nirvana and I have a powerful mage like Willy, I have no intention of giving him up. Now begone!"

He raised his staff and prepared to unleash another attack.

"Please stand back miss," Jura said to Lucy. "You'll only get in the way here."

"No need to tell me twice!" squeaked Lucy as she out of the way.

Brain then unleashed his attack resuming the battle between him and Jura. "DARK CAPRICCIO!"

The same spiral blast of dark magic came shooting towards Jura, as he retaliated by bending the rock towards the blast making it collide with it with a mighty blast.

Gray and Willy were going at each other using their fists and legs to punch and kick. Gray threw a punch aiming for his face, but Willy blocked the blow by raising his forearm. He then gave a sharp kick, but Gray ducked out the way making the kick go right by his head. Gray fought hard as best he could, but Willy had the upper hand when it came to close combat. Gray threw a punch, but Willy managed to side-step the blow and punched him right in his abs causing him to gasp in pain. Then Willy gave Gray an uppercut right on his chin and a kick to his gut again sending him flying. Gray was blown back, but he braced his feet on the ground and was able to stop himself from skidding. He then took his stance and then unleashed a spell.

"ICE MAKE: BATTLE AXE!"

He created a large axe made from ice and swung it straight at Willy. Willy immediately jumped up and then cloaked his leg with his water and slammed it on Gray's ice axe shattering it to a million pieces. He then kicked again aiming for Gray's face, but Gray bent backwards and flipped dodging the attack. Then he attacked with another spell.

"ICE MAKE: CANON!"

He created a large bazooka-like hand-held cannon. He took aim and he fired a cannonball of ice right at Willy. Willy then created and shuriken of water and flung it at the cannonball of ice. The shuriken zipped through towards the cannonball and when it made contact, it sliced the cannonball in half and exploded with a boom. An icy mist blinded Gray's vision making him unable to see in front of him.

"Damn it! I can't see," he grumbled.

Then the mist cleared and then Willy shot straight towards Gray his hands cloaked with black water. Gray immediately fired another spell.

"ICE MAKE: LANCE!"

Gray once again fired a wave of ice lances towards Willy, but using his hands, Willy punched once lance after another shattering it and avoiding damage as he kept on coming towards Gray. He then jumped into the air making streams of water gushed out from his hands and hurled them making a shock wave of water. Gray immediately went on the defensive.

"ICE MAKE: SHIELD!"

Entering his stance and waving his hands, Gray once more created a shield of ice protecting him from the waves of water. Willy seeing that his attack was blocked, he chuffed out his cheeks and prepared to unleash his breath attack.

"Look out Gray!" cried Lucy. "He's gonna blast you again!"

"I told you!" said Gray. "I ain't falling for the same attack twice! ICE MAKE: KITE!"

He jumped out from behind his shield and then made a kite made of ice and stood on it flying through the air. Willy then stopped and then spread his black water wings and took off flying after Gray. Then he unleashed his breath attack aiming right for Gray, but Gray using his kite dipped down and dodged the blast. He landed back on the ground and then used another spell in an attempt to shoot down Willy from the sky.

"ICE MAKE: ARROWS!"

Using his ice bow, Gray fired a barrage of ice arrows once again. Willy flew across the sky dodging the arrows as they shot at him. Then a couple of the arrows hit one of his wings causing him to fall towards the ground below. As he fell, Willy then conjured another pair of water shurikens and threw them. The stars went flying accurately hit Gray's ice on its wings cutting them off. The kite then shattered making Gray fall to the ground as well. Then the two of them landed on the ground gazing at each other. Gray wiped his dust off his cheek as panted from exhaustion while Willy simply stood there staring with his blank and green eyes.

"Man... I knew Willy was going to be tough to beat," Gray thought. "But I never would have guessed that he would be this tough. He's countering all of my moves every time I try to hit him. To make things worse, I'm still feeling weak from fighting that Racer guy and from getting ambushed by Shelly. I can't even keep up. I got to put an end to this, otherwise I'm gonna lose." He then stood up on his feet. "I'll say this much, I haven't had this much trouble with a water mage since I fought Juvia back in the battle of Phantom Lord."

Then suddenly Gray suddenly remembered back to when he fought Juvia and this made an idea pop into his head.

"That's it! Why didn't I think of it before!?" he exclaimed.

Then Willy came shooting straight towards Gray once again wielding his water blades. Gray barely had time to dodge as Willy swung his blades. Willy kept the pressure on by relentlessly attacking, but Gray kept on dodging. Then Willy dispersed his blades and went on using his fists and legs to attack. Gray tried his best to block the blows, but Willy was far too quick. He hit Gray with a leg sweep causing him to fall flat on his back. Willy then swung his fist down, but Gray managed to roll out of the way making his fist punch the ground. Then Gray launched another spell.

"ICE MAKE: KNUCKLE!"

From the ground, several large fists made of ice shot out and struck Willy. He was able to defend himself by crossing his arms, but the attack alone made him skid along the ground forcing him back. Lucy and Happy continued to look on with worry. They could both see that Gray was getting a little exhausted.

"This is bad," said Happy. "If Gray doesn't do something quick, he's gonna get himself killed."

"Come on Gray," said Lucy squeezing her hands with worry. "You got this. You can win."

Gray and Willy once again at a standoff both running a little low on magic power. Then Gray took his stance and once again used a spell.

"ICE MAKE: DEATH SCYTHE!"

Once more, Gray created a large scythe of ice. This made Lucy and Happy even more worried.

"Gray! That attack won't work!" yelled Happy. "He's just going to block it and eat the ice again!"

"Don't worry about it!" Gray yelled as readied his scythe. "I know what I'm doing!"

With a yell, he swung his scythe at Willy aiming right for his abdomen. Willy jumped up dodging the blow and then deployed his twin water swords immediately going on the attack. The two clashed with their weapons in an incredible speed. Water and ice flew from their weapons. Then Willy swung his swords and then knocked Gray's ice scythe out of his hands and then gave Gray a powerful kick to his chest sending him flying to a wall into one of the ruined buildings. Willy then started to eat the scythe.

"Oh no! Not again! I told you that this would happen!" cried Happy. "Gray! You gotta stop him!"

But as Gray got back onto his feet, he stood there and did nothing.

"Gray! What are you doing?! You gotta stop him before he finishes eating!" yelled Happy.

"Yeah! Otherwise that Willy guy's gonna use that breath attack again!" added Lucy.

"I know!" Gray called back. "That's what I want to happen!"

Soon enough, Willy had his fill from eating Gray's scythe and then turned his attention towards him. He then shot towards Gray and landed a series of unrelenting blows on him. Gray crossed his arms and took the barrage. Seeing one of her friends getting beaten up like this, Lucy couldn't take it anymore.

"That's it! I gotta help him!" cried Lucy as she got one of her keys preparing to summon one of her spirits. "Open! Gate of the-"

"I told you to butt out Lucy!" snapped Gray. "I told you! I got this! Stay right there!"

Then Willy gave a swift and powerful kick that was so strong, that it sent Gray high into the air. He then chuffed out his cheeks and prepared to use his breath attack. Willy took aim and then unleashed his breath attack. A huge stream of oil colored black water erupted from his mouth looking even bigger than before. It seemed that Gray was done for, but then Gray immediately put his fist into his palm and dove straight into the blast of water making contact.

"Gray! What are you doing?!" cried Lucy.

"He's jumping straight into the blast!" cried Happy.

"NOW FREEZE!" yelled Gray as is magic power flared and froze the water from the blast. The water completely froze and before Willy had a chance to react, he too was frozen in Gray's ice. Lucy and Happy's jaws dropped.

"No way! He froze him solid!" they cried.

"Now! ICE MAKE GEYSER!"

Gray seized his chance by slamming his hands to the ground. The ground froze and a giant pillar of ice enveloped Willy and rose him into the air. The spikes impaled him all over then the tower of ice exploded making Willy for the first time scream in pain. Gray then created two ice blades; one covering his right hand and the other on his left elbow.

"I'm sorry Willy," he said. "But this is going to hurt me a lot more than it's going to hurt you!"

He with a mighty yell, he leaped into the air straight at Willy and spun around rapidly hitting Willy five times causing major damage and then he finished his assault by slicing Willy with both of his blades in a dual attack.

"ICE BLADE: SEVEN STRIKE DANCE!"

As Gray landed back on the ground destroying his ice blades, Willy was sent flying having to have taken massive damage. He plummeted from the air until he slammed into the ground with a thud and was knocked out cold.

Lucy and Happy were amazed and overjoyed.

"Alright! He beat him!" cheered Happy.

"Yeah! Way to go Gray!" added Lucy.

Gray was doubled over in exhaustion trying to catch his breath, but he looked at Lucy and Happy and gave them a smile and a thumb's up.

Back with Jura and Brain, they were still locked in their fight. Brain would fire a Dark Capriccio and Jura would block the attack with an Iron Rock Wall. Then looked back and his eyes widened upon seeing his bodyguard's unconscious body.

"No! Shark has been defeated?! But how?!" he cried.

"Looks like your so-called bodyguard has fallen," said Jura. "And you will be the next to fall!"

Brain glared at Jura and growled with frustration. "Don't make me laugh!" he roared as he pointed his staff. "DARK CAPRICCIO!"

He once more fired his signature spell at Jura, but Jura intercepted with another Iron Rock Wall. The Dark Capriccio pierced right through the rock, but Jura once again bent the rock making the spell shoot in another direction. This made Brain even more frustrated than before.

"Another evasion!? Fine then! Try this on for size!" he yelled as raised his staff once more. "This attack is sure to hit you head on! DARK CAPRICCIO SCREAM!"

He then unleashed a more powerful and faster version of his previous attack which shot towards Jura.

"IRON ROCK WALL CHAIN!"

Once again, using his magic Jura created a line of cuboid shaped pillars to block the incoming attack. Lucy who was now watching the fight called out to him.

"You gotta get out of there Jura! Run away!"

The Dark Capriccio Scream pierced through one pillar after another reducing it to rubble. Soon it pierced through the last pillar and it was going to hit Jura next. Brain smirked thinking that victory was his, but then with a wave of his hand Jura made the rubble from his pillars float in the air and sent them flying towards Brain. Brain instinctively tried to dodge the attack, but one of the rocks smacked him square on his cheek causing the Dark Capriccio Scream to change direction making it narrowly miss Jura's abdomen. Then Jura made another gesture with his hands and the stones immediately flew toward Brain encasing and binding him. Jura then placed his hands together unleashing a powerful wave of magic and landed the finishing blow.

"SUPREME KING ROCK CRUSH!"

The pile of rock then exploded with a might boom and Brain took every ounce of power and magic from the attack. Happy, Lucy, and Happy stared at this display with amazement and shock as Brain fell to the ground.

"That was awesome!" said Happy. "He took the blasted rock from Brain's attack and then made a whole new attack out of it!"

"Now I get why Lyon respects this guy so much," Gray thought to himself. Then he quickly realized what Jura had just did. "Wait a sec... he did it! Jura just took down the leader of the Oración Seis!"

"It's over! We won!" cheered Lucy.

The three then went over to Brain making sure that he wouldn't escape and, so that Jura could interrogate him.

"Hey Jura. Do you think that we could stop this thing now?" asked Lucy.

"Please do..." groaned Natsu who was still feeling motion sick due to Nirvana moving. "Like... right now please..."

"I do not know, but we'll find out now," said Jura. He then turned to Brain. "And I still need an answer as to why you're targeting Cait Shelter Brain."

Brain stared up into the sky in disbelief not hearing what Jura said. "No... this can't be..." he murmured. "To think that I would fall like this... Losing in a battle to a light guild... and I even lost Willy. Please... hear my words Midnight... you're our last remaining hope. You cannot let the six prayers disappear... They're our only hope... of keeping him at bay..."

Then as he closed his eyes falling unconscious, another black line on his cheek disappeared leaving two more lines on his face left. Jura, Gray, and Lucy were puzzled.

"Keeping who at bay?" wondered Jura.

Gray squinted at Brain's face. "Hey, is it just me, or did one of the black lines on his face just disappear?"

"Gray don't say creepy things like that!" chided Lucy shivering. "Otherwise you'll freak me out."

Then they heard a voice call out.

"Hey you guys!"

Everyone turned their attention to see a familiar blue haired girl and her cat coming towards them.

"Hey, it's Wendy and Carla," said Lucy.

"It's just as I suspected," said Carla. "Only those hooligans would be responsible for all of that commotion!"

"We're in big trouble you guys!" said Wendy as she and Carla ran up to them. "I think this city is heading straight toward our guild hall for some reason."

"Don't you worry about a thing," said Gray. "Everything's going to be OK now. Take a look."

Wendy then saw the unconscious Brain and gasped in surprise.

Gray then gestured towards an unconscious Cobra who was behind them a few feet away. "His buddy the snake charmer's also over there."

"Wow," murmured Wendy feeling very impressed seeing the two defeated members of the Seis.

"From what we could gather," continued Lucy. "This Brain guy was the one who's been controlling Nirvana and now that he's out cold, the city should stop at any moment."

As Carla looked back at Brain she too felt relieved, but she was still worried. "Something doesn't sit well with me," she said. "He may have been defeated, but did you ever find out the reason why he was targeting our guild?"

"Who knows?" shrugged Gray. "There was probably no reason for it. Just something that villains do." Then he suddenly remembered. "Oh crap! I almost forgot! Willy!"

He then ran over to where Willy was lying to see if he was alright. Wendy and Carla were puzzled as Gray gently started to shake Willy to try and wake him up.

"Willy! Willy come on! You gotta wake up!" said Gray as he shook him. "It's me! Gray! Come on!"

"Wait a moment. I thought that his name was Shark," said Carla. "Is Willy his real name or something?"

"Yes it is," said Lucy. "As it turns out, Shark was really a boy who Brain kidnapped around six years ago and made him his puppet. His real name is Willy Falconer."

"No way! You're kidding!" exclaimed Wendy. "So... does that mean that he'll be on our side now?"

"Maybe... maybe not," said Jura. "There's a possibility that the hold Brain had on him is broken when he was defeated, but at the same time, the boy could still be under Brain's control."

"You think that he might attack us?" asked Lucy worriedly.

"I don't know," said Jura. "The only way to find out for sure is when he regains conscious."

Gray continued to gently shake Willy trying to wake him up. Then Willy began to stir and then he slowly began to open his eyes.

"Hey you guys! He's waking up!" said Gray.

* * *

 _Shark and Brain have finally been defeated, but the Allied Forces have the uncertainty of Willy's current state of mind._

 _The question remains, will he be back to his old self again or will he still be under Brain's control?_

 _Stay tuned!_

 _Plus, for my story as well as my wikia page, I'm currently searching for a picture of Willy to get comissioned! If anyone knows where I can find a good drawer, or if you want to draw a picture of Willy for me, don't be afraid to PM me. Also checkout my deviantart art page that is dragomaster767._

 _Dragoman out!_


	49. Chapter 49 Your Words

Chapter 49

Your Words

Willy's eyes slowly began to open as he began to regain conscious. Soon enough, they were fully opened and he slowly sat up groaning a little from the pain from his battle with Gray. Gray and the others were relieved.

"Hey look! He's waking up!" said Lucy. "And he looks back to normal."

"Willy! Can you hear me?" asked Gray as he helped him to his feet. "You're gonna be OK. Just hang in there."

"That's good," said Jura. "I may have had some pressing concerns, but it seems that the worst is over."

Then he heard Natsu who was still lying on the ground a few feet away causing him along with everyone else to look at him. He was still feeling motion sick looking on the brink of puking.

"Nope... it's not..." he groaned. "Please you guys... you gotta... stop this thing... "

"Oh Natsu you poor guy!" said a concerned Wendy. "Have you been poisoned too?"

Gray and Lucy could only shake their heads wryly.

"And what's your problem tomcat?" asked Carla who looked more annoyed than concerned at Happy's condition. "Don't tell me that you're too weak to stand."

"Yes ma'am," said Happy meekly.

"Goodness gracious you're pathetic," Carla sighed.

Then suddenly, Willy's eyes snapped open and he immediately leaped up into the air and landed in front Gray and the others surprising them.

"Willy! What are you doing?" demanded Gray. "Why are-"

Then Gray's eyes widened. When Willy looked back towards them, they all could see that his eyes were still glowing an eerie green color.

"Look at his eyes..." murmured Wendy. "They look so creepy."

"They're still glowing green," said Lucy. "That must mean..."

"It's as I feared," said Jura grimly. "I'm afraid that the boy is still under the spell."

"I thought you said that he was free from the spell!" Carla spoke angrily to Gray.

"He should have been!" Gray said. "I gave it everything I had when I fought him and Jura even beat Brain!

"Never mind that now!" said Jura. "We must be on guard!"

Willy carefully looked around at every person that was in the area before him including Brain. He then cloaked his hands with oil covered water. Everyone braced themselves for another battle, but then Willy raised his hands up and slammed them to the ground and a geyser of water gushed out of the ground in front of him. Then the geyser then dispersed and when the water disappeared, Willy was nowhere to be seen.

"He's gone!" murmured Wendy.

"Damn it! Willy! Come back!" yelled Gray.

He was just about to run off to who knows where to find Willy, but Jura stopped him by grabbing his shoulder.

"Hold on Sir Gray. We can't worry about him right now," he said. "We must head to the top of the royal center to stop Nirvana."

"You're kidding me right?! There's no way I can do that!" snapped Gray. "I finally get to see Willy after six years and you expect me to forget about him?!"

"He's not saying that Gray," said Lucy gently. "He's saying that we should focus on taking down Nirvana first before we do anything else. I know you wanna help Willy, but right now have a mission to do. We'll find Willy once Nirvana's shut down OK?"

Gray looked at Lucy growling in frustration. Then he took a deep breath and calmed down a little.

"Alright then," he said. "Let's go."

* * *

Meanwhile, Richard and Midnight were still locked in a intense battle. However the battle appeared to be over as Midnight fell to the ground in front of Richard, battered and bruised.

"No... this can't be..." he grunted. "Me...? Defeated...? I thought... there was no way that you could beat me."

"He who possesses the stronger ideologies will always triumph," said Richard. "So says the Wizard Saint Jura. Oh yeah!"

"No... I can't lose..." said Midnight as he struggled to his feet. "I refuse to... if I do... Father will think of me as unworthy... and he'll abandon me... I will not lose here!"

He managed to get to his feet and in a brilliant flash of light, he disappeared. Richard then closed his eyes pointing them with his index and middle fingers with one hand and then snapped them open making them glow in an amber color. From his point of view, everything around seemed to be like a thermal camera.

"Fleeing is futile! Oh yeah!" he said as he looked all around him from building to building. "Walls mean nothing to my Heaven's Gaze! It sees through all in it's path!" Then he sensed Midnight was and then turned around raising his hand. "LIQUID GROUND!"

Sure enough, Midnight reappeared right behind Richard just as the ground liquefied threatening to swallow him up. He immediately teleported again dashing around from place to place hoping to throw Richard off of his trail. Eventually he made it to a staircase just behind some buildings. He struggled up the stairs barely being able to stand.

"Damn it... all... Hoteye's stronger than I thought," he said to himself. "But... I have to prove... that I'm worthy to my father. If I don't... he'll cast me out... and he'll abandon me..."

Then before Midnight had a chance to react, the ground below him erupted in an explosion of mud and rock like a geyser sending him high into the air. Midnight screamed with agony as he was blasted from the explosion. He then fell to the ground in front of Richard in a heap making a small crater in the ground.

"I'm afraid that the die has already been cast! Oh yeah!" said Richard. "As have the scattered petals of the Oración Seis, into the wind!"

It seemed that Richard was finally victorious having to have successfully defeated Midnight, but he couldn't have been more wrong. Midnight slowly arose getting back to his feet.

"While I sleep... I have many dreams..." he said ominously as he looked at Richard. "And I know you have dreams too...and nightmares as well... at the stroke of midnight."

Then Richard felt an unknown attack rock throughout his body making him scream in agony and causing him to stagger. He then happened to catch a glimpse at Midnight and was shocked to see that he now had no wounds what-so-ever. Not even a single scratch remained on his skin.

"Impossible! All off his wounds have disappeared!" he thought. "But how?!"

Midnight smiled evilly. "I'm sorry to say this Richard, but your magic attacks won't affect me," he said. "Father may have been a skilled wizard, but my power far exceeds his. I'm the ultimate wizard. The strongest of the Oración Seis."

Richard was once again hit again by another invisible attack courtesy of Midnight making him let out another agonizing scream. This time he couldn't take it. He fell to his knees and then face first to the ground. As he began to slip away from conscious, he remembered back to when he was just a child and he was living happily with someone he longed to see for a very long time.

"My dear brother..." he thought. "My prayer... was to see your face... just one more time..."

He then blacked out falling unconscious. Midnight stood above Richard's body looking satisfied that he had dealt with the traitor that plagued his ranks. He then turned his heel and then walked away back on the hunt for the light guild wizards.

"Those fools thought that they could stop Nirvana just by defeating Brain?" he smirked evilly to himself. "What nonsense. As long as I'm still standing, Nirvana will never stop."

* * *

Brain was now all alone as he lied on the ground. He was battered and bruised, but he was conscious and far from out. As he lied there, he felt another twinge of pain and he knew what it was. Sure enough, another black line disappeared from his cheek leaving only one left.

"And so the fifth prayer and vanished and fallen," he said to himself. "Hear me Midnight... you absolutely must not fall... That... is my prayer... And... to make sure that you stay alive..." He put two fingers to his head and then used telepathy magic to contact a certain someone who also still served him. "Shark... Shark can you hear me?"

There was a pause of silence, then Brain heard his puppet's voice.

" _I hear you Master_ ," he said.

"Good. It's a relief to know that you're still there," said Brain. "Listen well and closely. You must go to Midnight. He is the only prayer that remains now. Make sure that you protect him with your life and follow his every command. Is that understood?"

" _Yes Master_ ," said Shark. " _Your wish is my command._ "

Brain then cut off his communication with Shark and then began concocting a plan. A plan to get back at those who bested him.

"You may have bested me," he said to himself. "But you fools will soon learn that your victory will come at a high price!"

* * *

Gray and others soon made it to the royal throne at the center of the city hoping to stop Nirvana. However when they got there, they found that the top of the tower was completely empty. There was nothing to be seen anywhere. Not only that, but Nirvana was still moving.

"Man! What the heck is this?!" grumbled Gray. "There's nothing here! You would think that there would be some kind of control panel up here."

"No joke right?" said Lucy. "How are we supposed to stop this thing if there's nothing here to make it stop?"

"I don't know," said Gray. "Damn it this sucks! I thought for sure that once Brain was beaten, this lousy piece of junk would stop and Willy would be back to normal!"

"I thought so too, but we were naive," sighed Lucy. "And not only that, but Brain's out cold, so we can't even ask him anything about it."

Then a sickly groan interrupted their thoughts. Natsu was still feeling motion sick as Wendy and Happy looked on worriedly. Wendy had just healed Happy from the poison and had now got around to healing Natsu. She could see how sick Natsu still was and felt worried.

"I don't think my stomach wants to be in me anymore..." Natsu squeaked. "I still don't feel so good..."

"What's the matter with him?" she asked. "I cast a spell on him to counteract the venom, but he's still sick."

"Don't worry Wendy," said Happy. "Natsu and vehicles just don't mix."

"That is just pathetic!" said Carla flatly.

"So he has motion sickness? In that case, I think I know just the thing to help," said Wendy. "I'll cast a spell to restore his sense of balance."

Her hands began to glow in a bright green color and she placed them on the sides of Natsu's face.

" **TROIA.** "

The green light from her hands then washed over Natsu's face eventually disappearing. Then Natsu sprang up into the air letting out a whoop of joy.

"Alright! I'm back!" he crowed now feeling his old self again hopping around like a child. "I feel a million times better! Thanks a bunch Wendy! You gotta teach me that spell sometime! I don't feel like I'm riding on anything now!"

Wendy smiled shyly. "I'm glad that it worked, but it's Sky Magic. I'm afraid that you can't use it."

Natsu wasn't paying attention. He was so excited about not feeling sick anymore, that he immediately went up to Lucy. "Hey Lucy! Summon one of your train or boat spirits for me!"

"First of all, I don't have any of those!" Lucy snapped angrily. "Secondly buddy, this isn't the time to be playing around! In case you haven't noticed, we're in deep trouble, so get a grip would you?!"

"That may be so, but we have no idea how to stop this thing," said Gray. "There isn't exactly anything up here that can help us do that."

"I know. I still don't get it though," said Lucy. "I thought that this was where Hotey- I mean Richard said Brain was controlling it. You think that he lied to us?"

"He couldn't have been," said Jura. "I believe him to be a man of his word."

"I think that there might be a more important question that we should be asking right now," said Carla thoughtfully. "Or to put it in another way, a different way the question should be asked."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Natsu.

"Just take a look around and what's happened," said Carla. "Here we are at the Royal Throne completely empty with no control panel and even Brain the one who we assumed was piloting it has been defeated as well. Then question that we should be asking ourselves is 'Why is it still functioning the same as before?' "

"Hold on a second. You don't think that Brain put this thing on some kind of auto-pilot?!" Gray exclaimed realizing. "Then if that's the case, then this thing could be set to fire too!"

Wendy was now trembling with horror and grief as she clasped her hands over her mouth beginning to cry. Nirvana was on a crashing course heading towards hers and Carla's guild and there was nothing she could do about it.

"Our poor guild's in trouble," she sobbed.

"Don't worry. We'll find a way to save your guild," said Natsu who was now wearing a face of pure determination as he stared into the distance. "I won't let this thing hurt your friends. I owe it to you after all. I promise, I will stop it."

"Don't forget about Willy," said Gray. "We're gonna save him too."

Wendy looked back at Natsu and Gray with tear filled eyes, but she felt amazed and reassured by their words.

"But what are we gonna do?" asked Happy worriedly. "There isn't a pilot seat or a control panel to stop thing."

"That's easy," said Natsu. "We'll just destroy that thing."

"Seriously? It all comes down to that?" asked Lucy flatly. "Leave it to us to demolish a city, right?"

"I hate to sound pessimistic, but that's a pretty tall order," said Gray. "I mean even if we wanted to, how are we supposed to destroy a city this big?"

"Before that, we should see if Brain knows anything about stopping Nirvana," said Jura. "It seems to be our quickest option."

"I doubt that brute would share that kind of information with us," said Carla.

Wendy thought and she thought trying to come up with an idea. Then she remembered someone who could help them.

"If he won't tell us anything," she thought. "maybe Jellal would know."

Then she remembered Natsu's reaction when he saw Jellal making her gasp with worry causing everyone to look at her.

"Is everything OK Wendy?" asked Lucy.

"Did you think of something that'll help us?" asked Gray.

"Well I'm not quite sure, but I think I might have an idea," said Wendy trying to sound uncertain. "It may be the only one option that we have, so I'll try my best to find it."

She then ran towards the down which lead a staircase that led down the stairs to the bottom of the tower.

"Wendy! Where are you going child?! Carla asked she close behind in pursuit.

"Hey! Wait a minute...!" called Gray wanting to know as well, but it was no use. Wendy and Carla had already disappeared into the staircase leaving him along with the other allies feeling confused with her.

"I wonder what's gotten into Wendy?" wondered Lucy. "She sure sounded determined."

"Agreed," nodded Jura in agreement.

Then suddenly, a voice was heard in their minds via telepathy. " _My friends, can you hear me? It is I, the wizard known as Hoteye._ "

"Does anyone else hear that too or am I going crazy?" asked Lucy.

"I heard it too," said Natsu. "But who is this guy?"

"He's using mass telepathy to communicate," said Jura. "Sir Richard! Did you defeat Midnight?"

" _I'm afraid not,"_ said Richard. " _I tried my best, but in the end my magic simply wasn't strong enough to defeat him. However you need not concern yourselves with my rescue. You all must focus on working together and defeating Midnight for good. If you succeed in defeating him, Nirvana's supply of magic power will be rendered dry and the city itself will come to stop._ "

"So we can stop Nirvana without destroying the thing just like huh?" said Gray thoughtfully. "It must run on some kind of body link magic." Then he suddenly remembered. "Hey! Hoteye or whatever you're called! There's something else we need to know! What about Willy? You know, the guy who Brain was calling Shark?"

" _Oh yes! That boy,"_ said Richard. " _He_ _was placed under a powerful spell by Brain six years ago even before the_ _Oración Seis was formed. Brain placed that evil curse on him, so that he would obey his every command or request. However, there is a way to save your friend and that way is the same as stopping Nirvana._ "

"Are you meaning to say that we have to beat that Midnight guy?" asked Lucy.

" _Correct,"_ said Richard. " _Brain made it so that in order_ _to break the spell on your friend, it would be by defeating every member of the_ _Oración Seis._ _Midnight should be directly below you just outside of the Royal Throne," continued Richard._ " _However, his power is not to be underestimated, so please proceed with caution my friends."_

"Wait... _directly_ below us?!" squeaked Lucy. "Seriously?!"

"All right! This mess just got a whole lot easier!" said Gray. "We get to kill two birds with one stone!"

"Alright!" smirked Natsu. "We also get to fight someone tough! You better watch out sleepy-head cause we're coming for you!"

"Natsu, need I remind you that our goal is stop Nirvana and save this Willy guy?" said Happy. "Besides, you could come up with a better name than that."

" _Only one of the six prayers remains on the battlefield now," continued Richard._ " _You have every ounce of my trust and faith in you my friends! Defeat Midnight, stop Nirvana once and for all, and save that poor boy from his cruel fate! Oh yeah! I wish you the best of luck my faithful comrades._ "

Then Richard let out a painful grunt as if he was in pain before the mass telepathy connection was lost.

"Sir Richard! Are you there?! Please respond!" said Jura with worry, but no one replied.

"Don't worry Jura," said Gray. "That guy just gave us a mission to do and you better believe we're going to do it!"

"Then what are we waiting for?" asked Lucy brimming with hope. "Let's go!"

"Yeah! I'm all fired up now!" said Natsu as he and the others headed right down the stairs towards the bottom of the Royal Throne. Soon they reached the bottom of the stairs where the two double doors were leading outside.

"There! That Midnight guy should just through those doors!" said Gray.

"Then let's do it!" said Natsu. He jumped straight at them and then gave them two kicks trying to get them open, however they wouldn't open. He then grabbed the handles and managed to get the door open. "Alright you napping freak!" he growled. "Time for you to take a long dirt nap!"

Then a bright light began shining through the doors giving everyone a sense of dread.

"Everybody, get down!" yelled Jura as he along with Team Natsu enveloped with by the light.

* * *

Erza and Jellal were still wandering around the city trying to find any signs of life. Then suddenly a huge explosion was heard in the distance dozens of feet away from them. The explosion was so strong, that it even shook the ground from where they were standing.

"What was that explosion?!" exclaimed Erza.

"I don't know," said Jellal. "But it sounded like it came from the Royal Throne."

"Father can be so selfish sometimes," said a voice coming from behind them. "He took a big bite out of all my fun and now he's left me with these measly scraps."

Erza and Jellal turned around and saw the person who was talking slowly walking towards them like a lion stalking his prey. Midnight.

"Oh well. Since you two are the last of my prey," continued Midnight. "Try to at least make this entertaining for me."

Erza scowled at this new foe and prepared to take action, but then Jellal barred her way.

"Stand back Erza," he said. "He's mine."

"Jellal, you can't," said Erza in a hushed whisper.

Jellal didn't listen. He immediately went on the attack unleashing a spell that was a blast of golden light. However, just as the blast was about to hit Midnight, it veered out of the way blasting the ground behind him instead.

"How could I have missed him at such close range?!" he exclaimed feeling stunned.

Then he felt sting of pain on his chest making him stumble, but he stood his ground and took a few steps toward Midnight not backing down.

"Stop this Jellal!" said Erza. "You're in no condition to fight him! Let me-"

But Jellal interrupted her with a raise of his hand still insistent of keeping her out of it. Midnight looked at Jellal with a bored, but amused expression on his face.

"Well? I'm waiting," he said.

Then after his magic seal appeared, Jellal then unleashed multiple blasts of golden light at Midnight hoping to hit him for sure and quickly. The attack this time appeared to have hit him causing a cloud of dust due to the explosion. Then due to Jellal's weakened state he couldn't help but once again feel pain shot through his chest causing him to stumble again much to the worry of Erza, but he managed to remain standing.

To make things even worse, Jellal then saw that his attack didn't do anything at all, for when the dust cleared, Midnight was still standing completely unharmed. Not even a single scratch was on him. Midnight then went on the attack. With a wave of his hand, Jellal was sent flying into the air enveloped by a strange spiral of red waves of his magic power. Erza could only watch with a stunned and horrified expression on her face as Jellal fell hard to the ground just behind Midnight.

"This is boring," sighed Midnight giving Jellal a sideways glance. "This is the fearsome Jellal that I've heard so much about? More like a waste of time. What, did you not forget not only your memories, but how to use magic too? Talk about pathetic."

Erza could only stare at Jellal lying on the ground still feeling horrified, but now feeling more confused.

"How could Jellal be so easily defeated?" she thought. "Memory loss or not, he shouldn't have gone down so easily. He must have used more magic energy than he expected when he placed that self-destruction magic circle on himself."

Midnight then turned his attention towards Erza and started to make his way towards her, but then he heard Jellal grunt as he tried to get back on his feet causing him to stop and look back at him.

"Oh? You're still alive are you?" he asked with an evil grin. "I'll give you this much, you've got determination. It's actually quite a surprise because now... I'm curious to see how much pain you can endure."

At that moment, Erza immediately sprang towards Midnight summoning a sword in her hand. With a mighty yell, she swung her sword with all of her strength hoping chop off Midnight's head, but to her surprise just like with Jellal's attacks, he attack somehow curved around him missing him entirely.

"Time for the main course already? Very well then," said Midnight with interest. "If Erza Scarlet's that eager to have her turn, then who am I to keep her waiting?"

Erza immediately back-pedaled a few steps. "My sword curved around him?! How did he do that?!"

"Erza! You have to get away from him!" yelled Jellal. "He's dangerous!"

But Erza didn't listen and attacked again. With a bright flash from her magic seal, she summoned another sword and struck Midnight again, but once again, the attack curved around Midnight rendering it ineffective. Midnight then retaliated using his strange waves of magic power to force Erza back. Just then, something strange began to happen to Erza's armor. It twisted and bent wrapping around her chest and neck and binding her arms.

"What is this?!" cried Erza as the metal tightened beginning to strangle her.

"Let Erza go!" yelled Jellal.

But Midnight ignored Jellal as the metal around Erza tighter and tighter. Then utilizing her magic and using a good amount of force, Erza broke free from metal binding her surprising Midnight. She then re-quipped to her Heaven's Wheel Armor.

"Now I get it," she said. "You use Reflector Magic."

"Very good Erza," said Midnight. "My Reflector Magic can bend and warp anything. It doesn't matter what kind of attack you throw at me, I'll just twist and manipulate it to my will. It can also not only reflect spells as a good defense, but it also allows me to dominate my opponent. Even light itself bends to my will."

"Every opponent has their flaws, you're no different!" said a not intimidated Erza. "I will be your end!"

She readied her swords and then came straight at Midnight once again.

"That's it- rush towards your doom," said Midnight now having a look of pure insanely evil on his face. "I can't wait to see your face as I twist your body apart!"

Then suddenly someone dropped down from the sky and landed right in between them slamming their fist from the ground. Upon said slamming, a huge geyser of water erupted in front of them causing Erza to step back.

"What is this?!" she exclaimed. "A geyser?!"

The geyser of water then dissipated revealing the person who interfered. He was a young boy, wearing clothes were slightly tattered from a recent battle, he had tan skin, and his eyes were glowing bright green. Upon seeing the person, Erza's eyes widened in utter shock and disbelief while Midnight looked more annoyed.

"And what are you doing here Shark?" he asked hotly. "How dare you interfere with my fight?"

"I'm sorry for intruding Midnight," said the boy. "But my master gave me strict orders to come to you right away. He told me that I am to obey and assist you in anyway possible."

"How bothersome," grumbled Midnight. "Never imagined Father being the overprotective type."

Seeing that there was another member of the Oración Seis, Jellal was now more worried about Erza more than ever. He was just about to tell her to be careful, but then he saw the look on Erza's face. She had a look of utter shock and disbelief upon looking at the boy. She was even trembling slightly.

"Erza! What is it? What's wrong?" he asked hoping to get her attention.

"No... it can't be..." she murmured her eyes about to tear up. "Willy... is that you? Y-you're... alive?"

Jellal was surprised to see Erza in such a state. He had never seen her so shocked like this. "Does she know this boy?" he thought. "He must be a close friend of hers or something."

"Willy! Is that really you?! What are you doing here and where have you been all these years?" demanded Erza.

Willy didn't reply. He only stared at Erza with a blank expression on his face.

"Answer me!" Erza tried again. "Why are you here?!"

"Ah. It would appear that you're acquainted with Father's bodyguard," said Midnight. "Or in this case, my bodyguard now. Sorry, but Shark's not really the talking type of man. He's been that way for the past six years."

Erza then glared daggers right at Midnight. "Tell me. What did you and your monster of a guild do to him?!" she said coldly. "And what do you mean by the past six years?"

"You really want to know?" asked Midnight coolly. "If you really that curious to know about Shark here, then maybe you should try to force me to."

Erza now felt more angry, but she remembered to keep her composure and calmed herself down. "Very well then, I will," she said. "And for the record, his name is not Shark! It's Willy Falconer! Now, dance my swords!"

At her command, with a wave of her sword, and using her re-quipping magic, Erza unleashed a wave of multiple swords sending them flying at Midnight, but Midnight using his Reflector Magic simply stood there as the swords curved around him not even inflicting a scratch on him.

"I already told you," he said smirking with confidence. "You could even have a thousand swords, but they still won't hit me."

"Midnight. Shall I assist you in defeating her?" asked Willy.

"No. Stay right where you are Shark," replied Midnight. "Besides, she's my prey and mine alone."

Then Midnight reflected the swords right back at her and using the two swords in her hands, Erza blocked the flying blades one after another.

"I did tell you that I can reflect spells," said Midnight. "So how does it feel to fend off one of your own attacks?"

Soon enough, the attack stopped and Erza had managed to deflect every last one of the swords that were reflected at her, however that didn't stop Midnight from attacking her. With a wave of his hand, the armor once more began to bend and twist around Erza's upper body binding and tightening around her hard making a scream of pain escape her lips.

"That's it... give me more!" said Midnight with a predatory grin licking his lips. "Soothe me with a lullaby of torment and agony! Nothing wets my appetite more than tortured screams!"

Erza glared defiantly at him and with one of her swords which was still in her hand, she threw it at him aiming right for his head. But Midnight seeing the sword coming, simply tilted his head to the side making the sword fly past him harmlessly piercing a stone behind him.

"Very impressive, but futile," said Midnight as he waved his hand front of him with his index finger pointed. "SPIRAL PAIN!"

A large spiral of distorted air then whipped around Erza causing her to scream in agony and pain causing major damage to her. The spell even was able to shatter her Heaven's Wheel Armor. Jellal could only look on with horror as the spell dispersed and Erza fell to the ground battered and bruised seeming to be defeated.

"No, Erza!" He cried seeing the fallen Titania. He then glared at Midnight as he managed to sit up on his knees. "Curse you, you bastard!"

"Finished already Erza?" asked Midnight as he stood above her. "Come on now, you can't die on me just yet. I need you to play and entertain me, at least until we reach Cait Shelter."

"Cait Shelter? What are you talking about?" asked Jellal.

"It's our first target," answered Midnight.

"And why them in particular?" Jellal asked again.

"An excellent question," said Midnight looking back at Jellal. "Allow me to explain. Long ago, a peaceful tribe called the Nirvits created Nirvana with the hopes of stopping a cataclysmic war. However, the spell they created proved to be far more dangerous than the war they sought to stop. So, they sealed it away keeping watch over it for centuries hoping that it would be never used again. They were so afraid of it, they swore to keep watch over the site where it was buried. Their descendants have even taken up that task all throughout the ages even making up a guild comprised of those descendants- Cait Shelter. Which stands to reason that they are the only people left that have the power to reseal Nirvana. Therefore, Cait Shelter has to be destroyed."

He then turned around facing Jellal looking elated with joy and slight insanity.

"I mean come on. It'd be a terrible waste to let a power like that go to waste don't you think?" he continued. "We'll utilize that power to send the world screaming down that the path of sweet chaos by making an example out of Cait Shelter. Those Nirvits wanted to stay neutral? We'll make them fight each other using Nirvana! It'll turn all of their hearts the darkest black imaginable as they slaughter each other forcing them into bloody war! Oh, what a lullaby it'll be!"

"You're despicable!" growled Jellal.

Midnight then looked at Jellal and then took a few steps towards him.

"Oh stop with the goody-goody act," he sneered as he looked at Jellal with a mocking and evil intent. "It makes you sound like hypocrite. Besides, Shark's more like a tool rather than a monster. After all, that's how Father wanted him to be."

"What do you mean?" asked Jellal. "Isn't he on you side?"

"You could say that, but at the same time he isn't," said Midnight. "It was around six years ago before the seis was formed. Father was searching for destructive spells for research when he came across a demon that was sealed away in a village. Thinking that it would be of use to him, he unsealed it hoping to use it's powers, but in the end he decided to yet it run rampant. The demon terrorized the village and no one had a chance of stopping it, until a young boy stepped in and fought the demon himself and somehow defeated it. However, the battle took its toll on the boy and he became ill. Seeing the boy's power first hand and wanting the boy's power for his cause, Father then had one of his followers disguise himself as a doctor and arranged for the boy to be taken to him. Father then experimented him and placed a spell to be his mindless solder and now here he his standing before you now as a loyal member of the Oración Seis."

"You monster!" growled Jellal. "You kidnapped an innocent boy to make him your slave?! Just how heartless can you people be?!"

"Oh quit pretending to be good," scoffed Midnight. "After all, your heart's so black it puts mine to shame. In fact, you're practically the very embodiment of darkness."

Jellal's eyes widened at this. "That's a lie!" he snapped. "What do you know about me?!"

"Everything," smiled Midnight darkly now looking more evil than before. "You forced children into slave labor, murdered your dear friend Simon, and even tried to kill your beloved Erza. And do you have any idea how many people you've brought sorrow upon? They feared you, trembled at the mention of your name, even an ocean of tears to be shed because of your suffering."

Jellal looked down at the ground unable to respond to Midnight's words. Had he really caused all of those terrible things? The thought alone made him feel guilty and ashamed. Then Midnight held out his hand at Jellal causing him to look up at him.

"You should join us Jellal," he said. "You inspire me so much, I think you're fit to be one of Oración Seis. It is your destiny."

Jellal looked at Midnight then at his hand unsure how to respond. Then Erza began to get up on her feet having to have heard everything Midnight said causing him and Midnight to look at her with surprise. Erza staggered still feeling pain from Midnight's sudden attack, but she managed to get on her feet. And in a bright flash of light, she re-quipped to one of her armors which comprised of a short purple tunic and revealing on the sides and chest held by a black obi with a red rope around it, a long cloth covering the groin area, bandages covering her forearms and wrists, pink stockings going up to her thighs, and simple sandals. She also was wielding a pole with a blade on the end called a bisentō.

"Wow. I'm impressed that you're still able to stand," said Midnight.

Erza ignored Midnight and spoke to Jellal "Don't you dare listen to him," she said. "I know that you have a light inside your heart Jellal, and it's shining brighter than ever before!"

Jellal stared at Erza seeing this girl filled with courage, then he remembered back to when Erza was scolding him before.

 _We'll never give up and will keep hope alive in our hearts. That hope only will be enough to guide you._

That thought alone made Jellal smile. "Erza... your words alone are the light," he thought to himself. "A light that gives me courage."

"Well what do you know Erza," said Midnight as he faced Erza. "The rumors about you were true after all." He then had that same of look of predatory insanity in his eyes. "Destroying you will be a treat!"

"Are you sure that you don't need any assistance Midnight?" asked Willy.

"No need Shark," said Midnight with an evil glint in his eye. "Stay out of this. She's all mine. I don't want your help nor will I need it."

Erza twirled her blade and pointed it right at Midnight not backing down.

"I swear upon this sacred blade I wield," she said. "I will end this chaos, the spell you placed over my friend, and most of all your life!"

* * *

 _If you liked what you read you know what to do!_

 _Be sure to check out The Leviathan of Fairy Tail Wiki at Fairy Tail Fanon!_

 _Dragoman out!_


	50. Chapter 50 Awakenings

_Another chapter up and ready! Enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter 50

Awakenings

Back at the Royal Palace, Natsu groaned as he along with his friends began to regain conscious. "Hey! Is everyone OK?" he asked.

"I think so," said Gray. "But try to keep it down, you're always so noisy."

"Geez! Are we really this dumb?" grumbled Lucy. "We're Fairy Tail and yet we fell for a lousy trap like that."

Then as Lucy sat up, she felt her head hit something above her making her yelp in pain a little. It didn't too long for Team Natsu to realize that they were surrounded by rock.

"Oh great," said Gray. "To make things worse, we're apparently dumb enough to get buried alive."

Lucy then became worried. "Then if that's the case, then where's Jura?!" she asked.

Natsu then began to pummel at the brittle rock above him with his head until he finally broke through the rock as did Gray and Lucy. Then they all gasped for a shocking and terrible sight met their eyes. There standing before them and in front of a large wall of rock pillars was Jura. He was battered, weary, singed, and gasping for breath, but still remained standing. Team Natsu also found themselves coming out of a dome instead of being buried by rock. It didn't take anyone long to realize that Jura had saved them by using his magic to not only cast his Iron Rock Wall, but also protecting them as well. However, he had to take the full force of the blast which was the reason of his current condition.

"I don't believe it," murmured Lucy. "He risked his life to protect us!"

The Iron Rock Wall then faded and Jura looked back at the shocked Team Natsu with weary eyes.

"The strength, courage, and spirit... you all possess," he choked out. "Lead me to believe... that your guild is a lucky one. It brings me great relief... to know that you're all still alive..."

Then having no more strength left, Jura fell to the ground on his back losing conscious.

"Pops! No!" Gray yelled.

"You can't go like this!" cried Lucy her eyes brimming with tears.

"Please don't die on us!" begged Happy.

"JURA!" roared Natsu with despair.

He immediately burst out of the dome and hurried to his side along with the others. At first, they feared the worst and thought Jura had died, however they saw that he was still breathing, but they didn't know how long nor did they know how to help him.

"This is terrible!" said Lucy worriedly. "Jura's hurt really bad!"

"Just hang in there Pops!" said Gray. "We'll get help for you, so don't die on us!"

"But how?" asked Happy.

Natsu clenched his fist growling in vengeance for what has befallen on his comrade, when he along with the others heard the sound of evil laughter followed by a voice.

"Ridiculous," the voice said. "That accursed Brain was always such a fool. Using all of his power to lay a trap, yet only one of you had fallen prey to it."

"Who's there?!" demanded Gray. "Show yourself!"

Then Happy saw something in the doorway of the now destroyed hall. "Hey guys! Over there!" he pointed.

The rest of Team Natsu turn towards the direction Happy pointed and were surprised. In front of them floating in the doorway, was a certain staff with a skull on top, having crystal orb in its mouth, and a headdress on top of it's head reminiscent of a Indian head chief's. They all immediately recognized it.

"That's the staff Brain was carrying!" said Gray.

"OK! I'm officially freaked out now!" squeaked Lucy. "What the heck is going on?!"

"He always was such a pitiful leader," the staff said. "A disgrace to the Oración Seis as is his worthless puppet Shark. However, our goal has not fallen out of reach. For as long as Midnight stands, victory shall be ours!" The staff then floated over to them. "And since he's busy at the moment, there's nothing keeping me from disposing you all myself!"

The staff then began to laugh and guffaw evilly thinking that it was being intimidating and terrifying, but Natsu not intimidated and having enough of the staff already, immediately grabbed it by the wood and began whacking it on the ground repeatedly.

"Hey! Don't just go grabbing that thing!" chided Lucy. "There's no telling where its been!"

But Natsu ignored Lucy as he kept whacking the staff.

"Would you shut up with the creepy crap already?!" Natsu snapped. "I've already got a splitting headache no thanks to your boss, so shut up already and tell us how to stop this giant city, you lousy rotten piece of driftwood!"

"Rotting piece of driftwood?! How dare you insult me!" snapped the staff indignantly. "I'll have you know that I come from a long line of proud ceder, so show some respect! You could have at least called me a stick!" He then switched back to his evil demeanor. "Before you is the eighth member of the Oración Seis! The mighty Klodoa! I have awakened from my slumber to destroy you-"

"I said shut up already!" snapped Natsu as he began whacking Klodoa on the ground once again. "I've heard just about enough of you!"

"Hold on just minute," said Lucy. "First I find out that Shark guy is the seventh member, now this guy's claiming to be the eighth? I thought that there were supposed to be six them. I mean that's whats seis means! Six!"

"Huh. That is strange," said Happy. "Having that Shark guy was weird enough, but now this guy's shown up, I'm really confused."

"I know right?!" said Lucy. "There's should be six members, so why is there an eighth now?"

"I... don't think that's something we should be focusing on right now," said Gray. "Especially since that there's a talking cane threatening to kick our butts."

Klodoa then broke free of Natsu's grip floating just above them. Then he looked towards the distance. "It won't be long until we reach that wretched guild," he said. "Then we can begin cleansing this world of all the trash!"

Lucy's eyes widened. "No way! Are you talking about Cait Shelter?!"

"That's right!" cackled Klodoa who may have only been was skull, but he was grinning in evil delight. "After all, they're the only ones left that have the power to seal away Nirvana, so therefore they must be destroyed! And once they've been completely stamped out, our crusade of darkness can finally begin!"

"There's no way that's gonna happen!" said Gray. "We'll stop this thing before that happens!"

"Until then, I hope you like fire, you piece of driftwood because I'm all fired up!" said Natsu as his magic power flared on his fist. "When I'm done with you, there's gonna be nothing, but a pile of ashes!"

* * *

Erza and Midnight stood in front of each other daring for one to make a move with Jellal and Willy being the spectators. A few seconds passed. Then Midnight spoke.

"Come on Erza, or should I call you Titania," he taunted. "I'm interested in seeing your true strength with my own eyes. Not that you'll be able to actually hit me though. If you think you can, I'd love to see you try."

"He's right," Jellal thought to himself. "As long as he can use Reflector Magic, he can just bend whatever attack comes his way. Not to mention he can use her own attacks against her too. How is Erza going to beat him?"

Erza readied her weapon and took her stance. Then she shot straight at Midnight resuming their battle. When she was close enough, she attacked Midnight with a flurry of lighting fast blows with her bisentō. However, the attack was deflected by Midnight causing Erza's attack to split and hit the ground and buildings behind him.

"She moved so fast!" exclaimed Jellal.

"Not bad," said Midnight. "But it's useless. You could be as fastest person in the world, but you'd never be able to break through my Reflection Magic!"

Erza attacked again slashing at Midnight twice across his chest, but her attacks seemed to go right through him like he was a ghost.

"I told it's useless," said Midnight smiling smugly. "Give up now and-"

But Erza wasn't done with her assault. Before Midnight had a chance to react, Erza using a palm strike slammed right into Midnight's chest sending him flying and slamming into a wall of a building finally landing a blow.

Midnight was shocked. "No... you were able to hit me?!" he exclaimed. "But how?!"

"It's simple. It's because your magic has two crucial weaknesses," said Erza. "One, although it's true that your magic allows you to deflect weapons and magic attacks, however the human body is a different story. If you could, then you would be able to bend my body rather than twisting my armor. Isn't that right?"

Midnight stood back up brushing the dust off his clothes scowling. Then Midnight raised his hand now glowing with colors of his magic power and twisted it. Erza's clothes once more began to bend and twist around her body.

"What does it matter?" he said with venom in voice. "I can use all of those lovely clothes you wear to squeeze you as fast or as slow as I want until you pop."

Her clothes tightened tighter and tighter, but Erza simply stood there unfazed and completely calm as she continued her explanation of Midnight's weaknesses.

"The second weakness," she began before looking upward just above Midnight. "is this!"

Suddenly just above Midnight, a magic seal belonging to Erza appeared and from the circle, dozens of swords appeared making his eyes wide with horror and disbelief.

"Erza! What are you doing?!" called out Jellal. "No matter how many swords you throw, you won't be able to hit him!"

But Jellal was wrong. Right then, all of the swords began to rain down falling right towards Midnight. This time instead of bending the swords, Midnight dodged and weaved the numerous blades, but it would all be for naught. Due to the countless number, Midnight was hit by some of the blades making him scream in pain for the first time ever as he fell to the ground.

"While you were twisting my armor earlier before," continued Erza. "You dodged my sword instead of using your magic to bend it. You could have used your magic to change the trajectory, but you didn't. And I know the reason. It's because you can only control one space at a time- whether it's the area around your target or the area around yourself, but not both at once. Therefore while you're using your magic to bend my armor, you're leaving yourself wide open to be attacked unable to use your magic to protect yourself."

Midnight scowled having to have his magic exposed while Jellal stared at Erza with amazement. "Incredible... she was able to figure out those weaknesses in such a short amount of time?!"

Then Erza felt the clothes that bound her weaken and then she broke free and her clothes snapped back into place as if they were made out of rubber. "What's more, this is one of the most elastic armors I have in my collection, the Robe of Yūen. This armor can stretch and contract freely making your magic ineffective against it." She then picked up her bisentō smiling victoriously. "I guess you could call this armor a third weakness."

Midnight pounded his fists into the ground with frustration like a child having a tantrum.

"No! No! It's too late!" he yelled.

"You're right about that," said Erza. "This battle is over. Surrender peacefully and release your hold on Willy."

Midnight chuckled darkly. "That's not what I meant. I mean that it's too late for you. You should have just let me kill you before Midnight before you had a chance to rest in peace. Before you saw the true face of terror."

Erza and Jellal stared at Midnight puzzled as to what he was saying while Willy still stood by doing nothing just as he was ordered. Then the sound of a bell tolling was heard echoing throughout the area.

"What is that?" wondered Erza.

"It sounds like some kind of bell," said Jellal.

Midnight then stood up on his feet and his bright red magic seal appeared above him.

"That's right," he said smiling evilly and darkly. "Tolling the midnight hour. When the midnight hour strikes, my powers reach their terrifying peak!"

As Midnight bathed in the glow of his magic circle, his body began to undergo a horrific transformation. He grew larger in size and his muscles bulged and grew and his skin turned into a sickly gray color. His eyes were now glowing in a brighter shade of red than before and his face twisted and his teeth sharpened changing into a demonic look resembling somewhat of a fish. He sooner towered over Erza and Jellal standing over several feet tall.

"What is he?!" wondered Erza as she bravely stood her ground not intimidated at Midnight's demonic form.

"You could have prevented this from happening!" boomed Midnight in a monstrous voice. "But now it's over! Don't blame me for whatever happens now!"

The beastly Midnight then gathered dark magic into his hands creating a giant ball and prepared to fire it. Erza jumped up to try to intercept it, but she was too late as Midnight threw the ball of Dark Magic blowing her and Jellal away and even causing Nirvana to tremble from the overwhelming power.

"What kind of magic is this?!" grunted Jellal as he looked back at the terrifying creature. "It is a take over?! No, it's something else! Something that I've never felt before!"

Midnight then looked down at him. "Jellal," he growled and from his mouth, his tongue extended turning into a hand grabbing a hold of Jellal. The boy struggled trying to break free, but he couldn't. Erza looked back in time to see his tongue pull Jellal in his mouth and swallow him whole. "Your entire reign was based on a lie! There was no freedom in the Tower of Heaven, even after the uprising! I was so scared, that I couldn't sleep at night!"

Erza's eyes widened with shock. "No way...! You were there?! All of you were at the Tower of Heaven?!" she exclaimed. "That must have been what Cobra meant!"

"Don't be so smug, Titania!" roared Midnight as he pounced right at her swinging his fist right for her. "You're just as equally to blame as he is!"

Erza held up her bisentō managing to stop Midnight's fist from crushing her, but due to Midnight's overwhelming size and strength, she was beginning to lose her ground.

"While everyone else suffered at the Tower for all those years, you turned your back on us!" continued Midnight. "And now that you've reunited and teamed up with Jellal, the very person who's caused you and your friends so much pain, you've become just like him! In fact, you could have prevented it from happening and you chose not to, so that makes you even more at fault! Just ask them!"

Erza looked behind her and saw a strange gooey white substance forming into two people whose expressions where emotionless and empty. One was an old man, bare-chested with a long beard, and the other was a young man with a metal plate on his jaw and an eye-patch over one of his eyes. Erza gasped in horror for she knew who those people were.

"Grandpa Rob...! Simon...!" she murmured.

Midnight chuckled evilly from behind her. "When you look at things from their point of view, who's the real monster?"

Erza clenched her bisentō in anger and immediately turned around slashing Midnight with it. "Shut up!" she yelled. She felt her blade strike at something, but it wasn't Midnight. Somehow Midnight had changed places with the apparitions of Grandpa Rob and Simon causing Erza to strike them instead. The apparitions groaned in agony as they exploded into a pile of goop much to Erza's horror.

"Oh no, you've done it again," mocked Midnight reappearing from behind Erza. "That's not very nice all. You've killed your dearest friends."

"Damn you!" yelled Erza as she swiped her bisentō at Midnight again. Howe+ver, she had once again struck someone else that Midnight switched places with. This time, it was Jellal. Erza's eyes were wide with shock as Jellal fell to the ground with Midnight's evil laughter echoing throughout the area taunting her.

"Yes! That's it, Erza!" laughed Midnight having to have once again reappeared behind her. "Slay Jellal with your own hands! Make him pay for what he did all those years ago and finally redeem yourself!"

"Curse you!" shrieked Erza and she tried once again to land a blow on Midnight using her bisentō to pierce him, but Midnight dodged the blow and punched Erza square in her back making it look like it pierced inside of her making her scream in agony. Erza was then enveloped by the same gooey substance coming from Midnight's fist. Midnight's dark and insane laughter echoed once again.

"This is only the beginning!" he laughed with glee. "The midnight hour is still young!"

At that moment, everything went quiet. Nothing, but the bell tolling could be heard. Jellal found himself lying on the ground like how he was before. Midnight stood there stunned, bewildered, and in pain as Erza stood behind him having to have struck him with her bisentō.

"What just happened?!" Jellal wondered. "He was a towering monster just a second ago!"

Midnight being unable to stand sank to his eyes as he gasped in pain. "No... it can't be...!" he groaned. "M-my illusions failed me?! But how?! How did she see through it?!"

"Illusions?! That was an illusion we experienced?!" thought Jellal now feeling bewildered as Midnight. "But it was so real! Horrifying even! Did all of that happen as the bell was ringing?!"

"Unfortunately for you, visual magic doesn't work on me, thanks to my artificial eye," said Erza who was keeping only her right eye open. "Another weakness you've overlooked."

"No... I lost... but I'm the strongest one!" wailed Midnight as his eyes began to fill with tears . "I'm the ultimate member of the Oración Seis... even stronger than Shark and my father... I'm unequaled and untouchable... and supposed to be the greatest wizard that's ever lived..." He then remembered back to when was in the Tower of Heaven always sitting in his cell curled up in a ball holding his ears. "All I ever wanted... for my prayer... was to find a place to sleep quietly and peacefully. Father..." He reached towards the sky as if he was trying to grab something that he couldn't reach, and then fell flat on his face falling unconscious finally to have been defeated.

"If you can laugh at people's suffering, then you still have a long way to go to achieve greatness," said Erza giving the unconscious Midnight scolding sideways glance. "If you truly desire greatness, you first must know what makes you weak. And in addition and most importantly... be kind and live an open heart."

Jellal stared at Erza in wonder and amazement. "So this is Erza," he thought to himself. "Absolutely incredible... I never imagined that she was this powerful."

Suddenly a cry of pain was heard causing both of them to look at the source of the sound. Willy was standing there from where he was standing, holding his head in pain.

"Willy!" cried Erza.

"What's the matter with him?!" asked Jellal. "Is he still under the control of that Midnight guy?"

"I don't know!" said Erza.

Willy continued to hold his pain seeming to be in pain. He then began to scream in agony as his eyes snapped open glowing in a bright green color. Erza immediately tried to go over to him to see what was wrong with him, but Jellal grabbed her arm stopping her.

"Erza wait! There's a possibility that he could still be under their the spell!" he warned. "Don't get near him!"

"But I have to help him! He's in pain!" said Erza.

Willy was now screaming even louder than before and his eyes were glowing brighter and brighter as he held his head in agony. A dark mist also began to seep out of his body wafting into the air. Then like the green color of his eyes shattered like he was wearing strange contacts in his eyes revealing their natural color underneath which was brown. Willy also stopped screaming and fell face down on the ground with a thud.

"Willy!" cried Erza as she along with Jellal rushed over to him.

"Is he alright?" asked Jellal.

Erza gently flipped him over and then looked him over. "He should be fine," she said. "He's just unconscious."

"Do you think that spell has worn off of him?" asked Jellal.

"I have no clue," said Erza. "Midnight did say that the spell would break if all the Oración Seis were defeated. We're just going to have to wait until Willy regains conscious."

Just then, Jellal felt a sharp pain in his chest again causing him to wince.

"Are you alright Jellal?" asked Erza. "Can you still go on?"

"Yes I can manage Erza," replied Jellal.

Erza then looked down on the ground looking very solemn. "Please forgive me," she said. "It seems that I was blinded by my drive to stop Nirvana. You're badly hurt and almost all of your magic power has been used up. I bet even simply standing must be taking a lot of your strength. I really should be mindful of the state you're in now and you should also try to rest."

Jellal smiled kindly. "That's really kind of you, but you need not concern yourself with me Erza," he said. "After all I was the one who unleashed Nirvana upon this world. Therefore, I must do everything I can to make it right by using everything in my power to stop it. I have no other choice."

Erza then looked up at the sky. "How long...?" she wondered to herself thoughtfully. "How long must I keep fighting the unending wrongs in this world?"

* * *

Wendy was flying above the city in search of Jellal with Carla holding on to her using her Aero magic. The two search all over, but they couldn't seem to find Jellal anywhere.

"Where could he be?" wondered Wendy. "I can't seem to find him anywhere."

Then Carla faltered causing her to almost drop Wendy. "Please child, I can't do this any longer," she said. "If I don't rest, I won't be able to last much longer."

"Oh. Alright then," said Wendy understanding. "I'm sorry for having to push you like this, especially with how difficult it is having to carry me around."

"Don't fret about it," soothed Carla.

As the two slowly descended towards the ground before resting on a nearby building, in the distance they could see mountains that looked very familiar to them which made them both worried.

"I recognize those mountains!" said Wendy. "That means..."

"Yes. I'm afraid that we're getting dangerously close to Cate Shelter, child," said Carla. "Honestly, why does an ancient city like this have to be so big?! It's like trying to find a needle in a haystack."

"What should we do now? I'm starting to get scared," said Wendy worriedly. "What if we aren't able to find him in time?"

"Don't think like that, Wendy," said Carla. "The stakes are way to high to start thinking of the worst."

"But it's not that simple!" said Wendy. "This is the hardest thing I've ever and I have no idea what to do."

"Then you have to start focusing on a single goal, child" said Carla. "Do you want to go see Jellal, or do you want him to stop this thing? It's as they say: Chase two hares and you will catch neither you know."

Wendy looked at Carla having to have paid attention to everything she said, then she knew just what to dio.

"You're right Carla," she said. "I know what to do now. We have to stop Nirvana. There's no way that we're going to let it destroy our guild."

Carla smiled proudly. "Good. Then focus on that for now," she said. "We can focus on the rest later."

Wendy then stood filled with newly found determination. "That's right," she thought to herself. "The only thing that matters right now, is stopping Nirvana in its tracks!"

* * *

Back with Team Natsu, Natsu and Gray were trying their best to land a hit on Klodoa, but Klodoa countered them every time. Then Natsu grabbed on to Klodoa's base hoping to keep him still.

"I got you now!" he cried.

"Nice going Natsu!" said Gray. "Now let's gang up on this guy and-"

Then suddenly Klodoa's base stretched as he headbutting Gray smack in the face. Then he went back and forth headbutting, but Natsu and Gray.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing?!" snapped Gray. "Keep that thing away from me!"

"Then maybe you should get out of the way you dumbass!" Natsu snapped back.

The two then growled and glared angrily at each other.

"Maybe you should try to hold it still, you freak!" yelled Gray.

"Maybe you should try to dodge it, you moron!" Natsu yelled back.

The two then started brawling with each other, much to the annoyance of Lucy and Happy and Klodoa's confusion. Klodoa then looked at Lucy staring at her creepily like he was undressing her with his eyes.

"Oh man. Why do I always get the creepy stares?" she whined.

"Maybe it's because of your ego and self importance," said Happy teasingly.

"Of course it isn't you stupid cat!" Lucy snapped. "It's because I'm so cute. Why must my cuteness be such a burden? Poor me."

Klodoa then sighed disappointedly. "I thought that there was a real woman here, but she's just a silly child."

"What'd you say?!" snapped Lucy angrily now her feeling her ego crushed.

Then Natsu and Gray pounced on Klodoa having to have stopped fighting with each other hoping that they could catch Klodoa off guard, but Klodoa saw them coming and knocking them away. Then using the orb in his mouth, he unleashed a lightning magic based spell shocking Natsu and Gray with a blue lightning bolt making them groan and yell in pain. They fell to the ground still feeling the shocks of lightning go through their bodies.

"Annoying little brats," said Klodoa. "You all may be young, but you all have a lot to learn if you want to be beat me! But no, you have to go and be all arrogant because you're so young. Well that's what you get for flaunting around your youth!"

Then Klodoa stopped. He then suddenly sensed something that made him drop the orb from his mouth. "No... it can't be!" he yelped now showing fear.

"Now what's going on?" wondered Natsu.

"They've fallen! They all were defeated!" gulped Klodoa with horror now beginning to sweat and tremble. "Every member of the Oración Seis has been defeated! Which means... the great one is coming!"

"What are you babbling about?" asked Gray. "Who's coming?"

"It's Brain..." said Klodoa mumbled.

"Wait a minute... what about that guy?" asked Natsu. "Old man Jura already beat that guy."

"Yes, I'm aware of that," said Klodoa. "But what you don't know is that Brain has another personality lurking inside him. The one you saw before was the outer personality, one that is calm and craves knowledge, Brain, however there is hidden personality to that, one possessing not only incredible magic power, but also having an unquenchable thirst for destruction. And to add to that, his personality was wicked and very dangerous. Brain fearing this personality would destroy everything including his allies had no choice, but to seal him away using six keys."

Gray then remembered back to when Brain was defeated and when he saw one of the black lines disappearing from Brain's face. "And those keys were the Oración Seis right?"

"Correct," continued Klodoa. "Bound together by using Body Link Magic, and once all six of the seis were defeated, this personally would once again emerge, free to roam the land. This personality known and feared by all by one name... Zero."

* * *

Brain's unconscious body was still lying on the ground. The last black line on his face vanished due to Midnight being defeated. Then suddenly, the rest of the black lines on his face began to pulse and then started to shine in a bright shining light before fading away. Then the ground began to tremble and shake once again due to Nirvana still moving. During the tremors Brain suddenly underwent a startling transformation. His skin turned ghostly white and when he opened his eyes, they turned into a bright and blood red color filled with murderous intent and a craving to crush his enemies.

* * *

 _Zero awakens after all the Oración Seis have been defeated.  
_

 _What will happen now? And I know what you're all been thinking._

 _What about Willy?! You'll just have to wait and see next chapter!_

 _I know, ain't I a stinker? Anyhoo... I just want to take the opportunity to say thank you for sticking by me for my story. I know Fairy Tail has a rep of being bad is some areas, but it's one of the best I've seen today. And I specially want to thank Jacques0 for being my inspiration for bringing this story as well as Willy to life! Lastly, I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year as I hope you all continue to read my stories!  
_

 _Dragoman out!_


	51. Chapter 51 Six Lacrimas

_Hey there everybody! Here's another chapter for you guys!_

 _I felt a little iffy writing this, but I hope you enjoy the read!_

* * *

Chapter 51

Six Lacrimas

 **WILLY'S POV**

Darkness. I was surrounded by endless darkness. I wasn't aware what was happening or where I was. I couldn't even feel anything nor could I see. It made me wonder if I was alive or dead. I seemed to be floating around endlessly like I was underwater drifting. Then I heard a voice.

 _"Open your eyes young one... open them..."_

"Who... who is that?" I wondered to myself. "Is... someone there?"

 _"You must open your eyes young one... You've been asleep for a long time now..."_

Now I felt confused. I could've sworn that my eyes were already open. And who was that voice speaking to me?

 _"Please young one... you must open your eyes. Now."_

Then as if the cogs in my brain had once more started to work, I slowly opened my eyes. I found myself surrounded in a strange blue void. As I looked around, I looked at my hands and opened and closed them testing to see if they worked. Then I noticed as I breathed in and out, I noticed that I saw some bubbles escape from my mouth. It was then that I realized that I was underwater. I felt even more puzzled than before. I blinked trying to remember anything about how I got here, but the problem was I couldn't. Then I heard the voice again.

 _"You must hurry young one. Your friends are in dire need of your help..."_

"Hey... wait a minute. Who are you?" I called out know feeling more confused than ever. "And what do you mean?"

 _"There's no time to explain. You must go back and help your friends immediately. So, please... hurry!"_

Suddenly from below, the water began to churn and twist until a whirlpool formed. The current was so strong, that it began to pull me towards it. Feeling fearful about the thing consuming me, I tried to swim away, but the whirlpool came closer and closer until I was enveloped by its strong waters. I was whipped around and around the whirlpool like clothes in a washing machine set on the spin cycle. Just when I thought I was going to be sick, the whirlpool seemed to come to life as it shot me out like a cannonball. I was immediately sent flying straight towards the surface of the water. As I grew closer and closer, the light seemed to grow brighter and brighter until the light blinded my eyes.

* * *

Everything was dark again. This time, I could feel some slight pain on my body. Not only that, but I could feel that I was in someone's arms. My eyelids twitched a little and I slowly started to open them. Then I heard two voices, one belonging to a female and the other to a man.

"Erza look. He's starting to come around."

"Willy? Willy, can you hear me?"

My eyes slowly and fully opened and I could see what was in front of me. I was in the arms of a young woman who long crimson red hair wearing a strange purple outfit with a strange spear beside her and the man had short blue hair with a strange tattoo just below his eye. Seeing these people made me for some reason instinctively frightened and on edge. I leaped away from the woman and cloaked my fists with water and made two swords made of water appear from my hands.

"Who are you two?!" I demanded pointing my swords. "What do you want?!"

I tried my best to be intimidating, but my hands were slightly trembling. The blue haired man next to the crimson haired woman immediately stepped in front of her seeming to be protecting her. He held out his hand aiming for me preparing to attack, but the crimson haired woman stopped him.

"No Jellal. I will handle this," she said. "Step back."

"But Erza... " he protested.

But Erza stepped forward and calmly began to walk towards me. However, I stayed on guard and pointed my swords at her.

"Willy, calm yourself," said Erza calmly. "You have no need to be scared. You're OK now."

"And why should I believe you?," I said still feeling scared. "And for that matter..."

Then I felt a sudden dizzy and painful feeling in my head causing me to stumble and drop one of my swords. Not only that, but I felt very confused and completely unaware of where I was or what I was doing here.

"Oh man... I feel so dizzy," I groaned. "I feel like my head's spinning like crazy right now... Where am I? And..."

That was then when I realized something that made me feel more confused than before. I couldn't remember my own name. I tried hard to remember who I was, but every time I kept drawing a blank.

"You've got to be kidding..." I said to myself. "I can't even remember who I am."

Erza's and Jellal's eyes widened in surprise and shock staring at me.

"It can't be..." murmured Jellal. "Like me, he's lost his memories."

"Wait... what do you mean by that?" I asked having to have heard him. "Do you two know what's going on or who I am? If you do know then tell me or I'll... I'll... strike you down!"

I pointed my sword at them while I was holding my head. I was trying to be intimidating, but I was doing a pretty poor job of it in my current state. I wasn't even sure that this was the best way to ask what I wanted to know, but I had to know. And considering that the girl called Erza had a weapon beside her and the man named Jellal was about to use some kind of magic to attack me, I wasn't about to let my guard down. Or... at least try to put on a brave face. There was a long pause of silence. Then Erza continued to walk towards me. I pointed my sword at her still, but Erza didn't stop.

"You said that you wanted to know who you were, correct? Then allow me to tell you," she said. "But before I do, you must trust me. Lay down your sword. I promise we will not harm you."

I looked at the woman right in her eyes while still holding my sword at her. Her eyes not only had a brilliant shade of brown, but they were filled with some kind of fierceness, honesty, and compassion. She eventually came close to my sword and slowly pushed it down making lower my blade until I dispersed it.

"Alright then," I said straightening up. "I'll trust you Miss."

"You have my thanks," said Erza. "Now then, I'll start by telling you our names. My name is Erza Scarlet and this is a dear friend of mine, Jellal Fernades whom like you is also having trouble with his memory. As for your name... you are Willy Falconer."

"Willy... Falconer?" I puzzled. "Is that my name?"

"Yes. You were a young boy as well as a water dragon slayer who was a good friend of mine back when I was a girl," continued Erza. "You were very kind and gentle and were close with most of the kids in Fairy Tail."

"Fairy Tail?" I wondered. "What is that? You mean as in a fairy tale storybook or something?"

"No. Nothing like that," said Erza shaking her head. "Fairy Tail is just the name of a wizard's guild were we all in. You weren't a member at the time, but you felt like one to us. You were so kind and like a brother. Then at one point, you fell ill due to having too much magic confined in your body. You were so sick that you had to stay in the hospital for quite some time. Then, the doctor arranged for you to be transferred to another facility that could help with your case. It's been six years since then."

Me and Jellal's eyes widened at this. "What?! Six years?!" we both exclaimed.

"That's right. Six years," said Erza. "No one really knew what happened to you or where you disappeared to, but we've been wondering and searching for you all this time. But then... me and Jellal found that you were under the control of the Oración Seis."

"The... Oración Seis?" The name alone was enough to make me feel uneasy. "Who... or what is that exactly?"

"Long story short, it's the name of a dark guild who plans on using Nirvana to destroy every light guild in existence," said Erza. "They were also the reason that you've been missing all those years ago because they kidnapped you and placed you under some kind of spell to control and force you into doing whatever they desired."

"What?! I was... under a spell?! And I was a part of something like that?!" I exclaimed. "Is this is some kind of joke?!"

"I can assure you, it's not," said Erza solemnly. "Although I wish it was. In fact as we speak, Nirvana is slowly making its way towards a guild called Cait Shelter and if we don't stop it... millions of people will be hurt and lives will be lost."

I was now feeling a flurry of emotions going through my mind, but mostly horror and guilt. It was hard to believe I was a part of something so evil and the fact that I was a puppet. Erza then placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Don't worry. You're free from the spell now," she said soothingly. "You don't have to fear being controlled by them anymore. It's not even your fault."

"But... if what you're saying is true... and I was a bad guy a moment ago then... then... I... I'm the reason that innocent lives are in danger!" I said feeling more guilty and shameful causing my eyes to tear up. "It doesn't even matter if I was being controlled, it's still partially my fault! God... what have I done..."

Then Jellal spoke. "It's not just you. I too have done some terrible things that I have not been aware nor proud of," he said. "In fact, I'm the reason Nirvana's been activated. I've even done some things that are absolutely unforgivable. I thought that the only way for me to atone for my sins was to give up my life, but... something made me change my mind. Something that someone once told me."

I looked at Jellal my eyes filled with unshed tears. "And... what did that person say?"

Jellal smiled and looked up at Erza. "She told me that I can make up for my mistakes by living with hope," he said. "As long as I'm alive, I won't rest until Nirvana is destroyed." He looked back towards me. "However, if you still feel like you want to atone for your sins... then dry your tears. Help us stop Nirvana."

Jellal held out his hand smiled kindly at me while Erza smiled as well feeling proud. I looked at Jellal and looked at his hand. I was just about to take his hand when a voice called out.

"Hey guys! I found you!"

We all looked and we saw two beings coming towards us. One was a young girl with long flowing blue hair wearing a strange dress with yellow and blue stripes and the other was a white cat wearing a dress floating in the air using a pair of angelic wings on her back. Me and Jellal were surprised to see them while Erza was smiling with relief.

"Wendy. Carla. I'm glad to see the two of you are alright," she said. "You had me worried."

The girl named Wendy and the cat named Carla came up to us and then Wendy looked at me. When she did, she gasped in surprise.

"Hey! Isn't he that Willy guy?!" she exclaimed.

"What is he doing here?!" glared Carla suspiciously. "Don't tell me that he's here to attack us again?!"

"It's alright," said Erza. "He's on our side. The spell that was controlling him had been lifted. He's back to his old self again."

Wendy and Carla both looked at me, Carla still suspicious and Wendy more curious. Then she saw Jellal and when she did, she smiled brightly overjoyed to see him. "It's good to see you as well... Jellal."

Jellal blinked and stared at the girl in confusion. "I'm... sorry, but... do I know you?"

"Of course you know me. It's me, Wendy Marvell," she said.

Jellal stared at Wendy trying hard to remember the girl, but he shook his head. "I'm sorry, but... I don't know you."

Wendy and Carla were surprised and then Wendy's face then changed into saddened disappointment. Erza felt sorry for the girl.

"Please forgive him," she said. "It's nothing personal nor is it his fault. His memory is all mixed up. He doesn't remember just you, he's forgotten me as well."

Wendy looked back at Jellal understanding what has befallen him. Carla however stared at Jellal in disbelief and horror.

"Wait a minute! You couldn't have lost your memory!" she cried. "If that's the case, then... No... Don't tell me that you've forgotten how to stop Nirvana?!"

Jellal bit his lip and looked down towards the ground clenching his fists. "No... I tried to stop it... but I couldn't," he said slowly and sadly. "My self-destruction magic circle didn't work. I'm afraid that there's nothing more that I can do now... I'm sorry."

"You can't give up that easily!" yelled Carla now sounding frantic. "Our guild is in danger of being destroyed at any moment! In fact at this point, Nirvana is right on top of it! You can't just turn your back on our comrades! There must be something that we can do!"

I was about to try and say something to get Carla to calm down, but suddenly the ground began to tremble beneath our feet.

"What is that?!" cried Erza.

I looked around trying to see where the shaking is coming from. Then I saw a bright shining light close to the edge of the city where we were standing.

"Look! Over there!" I said pointing. "I think it's coming from that direction!"

We all immediately headed towards the edge dreading for the worst. Then when we reached the edge, our horrors were confirmed. We looked down on the side of Nirvana to see its huge opening was gathering a lot of magic power shining in a bright and dark light. Not only that, but in the distance miles away on the ground below, we saw a small building that appeared to be in the shape of a cat.

"Oh no! That's Cait Shelter!" gasped Wendy.

"So much light and magic power..." murmured Erza. Then she realized what was going on to happen which made her blood run cold. "No! It's going to fire!"

"If that thing fires with that much magic power, that building's done for!" I gasped clasping my mouth.

Wendy and Carla could only stare in horror as the light from Nirvana grew brighter and brighter.

"Please... STOOOOOOP!" screamed Wendy.

Her words would only fall to deaf ears, as Nirvana fired unleashing a beam black of light straight at Cait Shelter. It seemed that all would be lost and Cait Shelter would be destroyed, but suddenly... something happened. Nirvana was suddenly hit on one of its legs from an unknown attack from above causing it to stumble and shift slightly making its attack shoot right above Cait Shelter. Then several more attacks from bombarded Nirvana causing it to rumble and shake once again. The beam from its attack also dissipated having to have run out of power from using the blast.

"What happened?!" exclaimed Jellal as he held on to the side of a building for support. "What's going on?!"

No one really knew. Then a great shadow slowly cast over us from from above causing everyone to look up. There floating above us was what appeared to be a floating ship. It had the appearance of some kind of Pegasus, was heavily damaged, and was missing two of its legs. Jellal and I were shocked while Erza and Wendy stared at the ship with wonder and relief.

"What in the world is that thing?!" I said gawking at the strange thing.

"The magic bomber, Christina!" said Erza.

"But is it an ally of ours?" asked Jellal.

Then we all heard a voice in our heads belonging to another man.

"Do you read me?" the voice said. "Someone! Anyone! Respond! Please let me know that you're OK!"

"I know that voice!" said Wendy. "Isn't that..."

"Yes! It is!" said Erza happily. "Hibiki! Is that you?!"

"Erza! Wendy! I'm glad to hear that the two of you are alive and well," said Hibiki's voice.

Just then, there was another voice of who I didn't recognize. Someone that sounded like a man a bit older.

"In case you were wondering, I'm alive as well, but I don't know about the well part," the voice said.

"Master Ichyia. I'm glad to hear that you're alright too," chuckled Hibiki.

"I still can't believe my eyes," said Erza who was still grinning. "I never would have expected to the Magic Bomber fly again."

"Nor did I," agreed Carla. "Especially after we saw her shot down by the Oración Seis near the woodsea."

"How did you get it flying again?" asked Wendy.

"Hard work and lots of it," replied Hibiki. "I must admit that for a group of wizards that barely know each other, we're pretty at getting the job done by working together. Firstly, to make up for one of its wings that was shot down, Lyon's using his Ice Make Magic as a replacement, Sherry is combining her Marionette Magic with Ren's Air Magic to keep the hull together, and lastly, our attack on Nirvana just now was thanks to Eve's Snow Magic."

Then another voice was heard belonging to another man who seemed not only younger than Hibiki, but also sounded very weak. "I fused my magic into some of Christina's magic bombs," said the voice. "But... it hardly did any damage to it... even with... their power... plus... that was... the last of my magic power..."

Then with a weak groan, the new voice spoke no more.

"Eve!" I heard Hibiki say. "You did good. Just try and rest for now."

"Thank you everyone," murmured Carla who was also touched from Hibiki's explanation. "Thank you so much..."

"Yeah. We owe you one," added Erza. "You've made everyone proud."

Wendy whose eyes were brimming with tears also was grateful. "Because of you... our guild is safe," she said tearfully full of joy. "Thank you..."

I couldn't help, but stare into Christina in wonder. "All of those wizards were working together to keep that thing airborne, even though they hardly had any magic left? Unbelievable..." I thought to myself. "Absolutely Incredible..."

"Don't thank me just yet," said Hibiki. "I'm sure you're all well aware, we're running very low on magic power up here, so we won't be able to attack from Christina anymore. Just getting here was difficult enough and I'm not sure how long we can stay airborne... but you need not worry. We'll be fine. Aside from that, I've got a bit of good news. I was digging around using my Archive Magic and I've finally found the answer we've been looking for. I know how to stop Nirvana!"

Everyone's eyes widened.

"Have you truly?!" said Erza. "Then please! Tell us!"

"You know how Nirvana's got those strange appendages that we thought were legs? Those legs actually act like pipes sucking out the magic energy from the earth which is what is used to power Nirvana," explained Hibiki. "At the base of each appendage, is a lacrima that controls the supply of magic energy. If that is true, then if we destroy all six of the larcrima at once, it will destroy its control system and shut down Nirvana for good. However, we can't just destroy them one at time. If we do that, then the other larcima will just repair the one that is damaged.

"Destroying six lacrimas at the same time?!" exclaimed Erza. "How on earth are we supposed to do that?!"

"I wish I could help you time the strike, but I don't know how long my telepathy can last," said Hibiki. "The best I can do is to give you each a synced timer. I'm uploading it into your heads now."

Then three strange meters appeared above Wendy, Erza's, and Carla's heads. The meters filled up changing from blue to orange.

Wendy then gasped. "Twenty minutes?!"

"That's the time we have before Nirvana is ready to fire again," said Hibiki. "I know that seems like a pretty tall order, but if anyone can do it, it's you guys. I have faith in you."

Then suddenly, a new voice was heard. "What utter nonsense," the voice scoffed. "Would you care to wager that bet?" This time the voice sounded, so evil, so sinister that it made the hairs on my skin stand on end.

"That voice...!" said Erza.

"Who is that?!" I exclaimed.

"And how was he able to hijack my telepathy?!" asked a stunned Hibiki.

"It's that freaky Brain guy!" cried Wendy.

"Brain is no more! I am Zero, Master of the Oración Seis!" the sinister voice said. "First of all, allow me to commend you. I never would have expected that there would be another user of Archive Magic other than Brain. And not only that, but it would appear that Brain's lost his precious puppet Shark. Or should I call him, Willy Falconer?"

I flinched upon hearing that. "Is he talking about me?" I thought to myself.

"That's right. I am talking about you. I happened to hear your name before I was sealed," said Zero. "I never would have guessed that you'd had the gall to betray me. Then again, Brain was a fool to begin with controlling you with a spell no matter how much interest he had in you."

"So it's true then!" said Erza. "You did kidnap Willy and forced him to do your dirty work these past six years!"

"And so what if I did?" said Zero. "Besides, that was more of Brain's idea rather than mine. He only wanted the boy because of the power he possessed. In fact, his power interests even me. Say boy, how would you like have a proposition?"

"A proposition? Wh-what do you mean?" I asked tentatively.

"Join me," said Zero. "Join me on my quest for destruction. If you do, I'll allow you to live and even show you things the wizards of light could never show you. We'll crave a path of destruction and destroy and kill everyone that stands in our way! "

I couldn't help but gulp a little at that. This guy was just plain demented. It made me feel sick to my stomach. I wanted to run away, but I spoke trying to be as brave as I could. "Y-you're insane!" I yelled. "I may have lost my memory, b-but even I know that you're the bay guy here! I'll never join up with the likes of you!"

Zero laughed maliciously. "Suit yourself then! Now hear me, wizard of lights!" he continued. "I am going to destroy and obliterate everything that you hold dear! I've already begun by destroying three of your friends! A dragon slayer, an ice wizard, and a Celestial Wizard." He then chuckled maliciously. "Oh. And a cat."

"No! He got Natsu and the others?!" gasped Hibiki.

"No! It's can't be true!" cried Wendy. "You're lying!"

"Oh by the way," continued Zero. "I couldn't help, but overhear something about destroying all of Nirvana's lacrimas simultaneously. Well you can go ahead and try. I just so happen to be standing right in front of one of them and I have no intention of leaving. As long as I am here, it will be nearly impossible to destroy all six at once! And by the way, since you're clearly a traitor Shark, and once I've done with these miserable wizards of light, I'll be coming for you myself! I'd start saying my goodbyes if I were you."

Then there was a loud sound of feedback in my mind making my cringe a little.

"Zero's telepathic connection's been stopped," said Hibiki.

Erza gritted her teeth as she punched her fist into her hand in frustration.

"Damn it!" I cursed clenching my fists. "This guy's completely ruthless... W-what'll we do now?"

"There's only one thing we can do," said Jellal grimly. "If we plan to destroy all six of the lacrimas at the same time, we're going to have to split up and attack individually and hope that we hit at the same time. However, there's a one-in-six chance that a wizard would run into Zero, and unfortunately for us, Erza's the only one who has a chance of defeating him."

"Hold on a minute! I think we've forgotten something here!" cried Carla. "We don't have six wizards with enough magic energy to go through with the plan!"

Wendy clasped her mouth letting out a frightened gasp. "But then that means..." she murmured. She then bowed to Jellal, Erza, and me. "I'm sorry! I can't help you! I don't even know destruction magic!"

Erza then looked at Jellal. "There are two of us here, but we still need more. We can't do it on our own." She then looked towards the sky. "Is there anyone else who's strong enough to help us?!" she called out.

Then we heard Ichiya. "Yes my honey!" he replied. "I am able-bodied and at your service! Although... I'm a bit tied up at the moment."

"With Master Ichiya, that makes three," said Hibiki. Then I heard the sound of him stumbling. "Oh no... Guys... you gotta hurry! My magic power won't last at this rate!"

"Someone please respond!" called Erza. "We need three more people! There's gotta be someone else! Can anyone help?!"

Then we heard an explosion from above. We all looked up and we could see that one of Christina's wings was gone and she was beginning to drop towards the ground.

"Oh no!" I cried. "Something's wrong up there!"

"Christina's losing altitude!" said Carla.

As Christina continued to drop close to the ground, I heard another voice in my head belonging to another man.

"Gray... you have to get up!" the voice said. "You've got to... think of Ur! Don't let her down now! You must keep fighting for her sake!"

A female's voice was also heard. "Listen Lucy," she said weakly. "I know that... I've always hated you... You always had a big ego... thinking that you're so cute... and you're also an airheaded crybaby... but... you're the type of person that... always gives it her all... and if you die now... I don't know what I'll do. I mean... who else am I supposed to hate? I don't want that to happen, so please... respond Lucy! You have to!"

Wendy's eyes began to fill with tears and she silently began to pray. "Natsu... please... we need you..."

"Can you hear our voices?" asked Hibiki. "If so, then please respond!"

I looked around and I could see that everyone else was praying that Natsu, Gray, and Lucy would respond to them. It made me wonder why they had so much faith and hope in these people. There was a long silence, then I heard four different voices that I didn't know. Three of them belonged to boys and one belonged to a girl.

"Yeah... we hear you..." the first boy said.

"Natsu..." said Hibiki with relief.

"Destroy... six lacrima... at the same time..." said the second.

"Well it's about time, Gray," chuckled the boy. "I was wondering when you would speak up."

"Shut it... Lyon," I heard the second boy groan.

"So... I wonder which one of us is gonna get Zero?" grunted the girl who I assumed was Lucy. "Cause we'd like another crack at him. Right guys?"

"We have eighteen minutes left," I heard the third boy say. "We have to hurry! We owe it to Wendy and Carla to protect their guild!"

"Guys... my telepathy is about to cut off," said Hibiki. "And also a while ago, I've uploaded a map into each other your minds... and I've numbered each of the larcima. Choose a number and go to..."

"I'll take one!" said Natsu.

"Two!" said Gray.

"I guess I'll take three," said Lucy. "But please don't let Zero be there!"

"Then I shall take number four," I heard Ichiya say. "I can tell it's the closest to me, thanks to its parfum!"

"You mean because you can see the map in your head," said Erza flatly. "In any case, I can take number five."

"Hey Erza! You're all better now!" I heard Natsu say in delight.

"Yes. It's all thanks to you guys," replied Erza.

Jellal then stepped forward. "Then I'll-"

He was just about to say that he will take lacrima number six, when Erza raised a hand to cut him off.

"You're left with number six," she said.

Then she spoke low, so only Jellal would hear. I couldn't tell what she was saying, but I would have to assume that she didn't want Jellal to be found out by the others just yet. Christina which was now falling faster than before, flew right past us and then it fell into the woodsea to the ground below with a mighty crash. I also could no longer hear the telepathy.

"Guys! I can't hear that Hibiki guy anymore," I said worriedly. "Does... that mean..."

The only response I got was everyone solemnly closed their eyes then heads lowered towards the ground. I didn't bother to press on any further.

"We have six wizards now," said Carla. "Let's hurry and get the ball rolling!"

"But... there's still the concern of that Zero guy," I said. I looked at Erza. "Did you pick lacrima number five because Zero is most likely there."

"I doubt that," said Erza. "In fact, I think I know exactly where he is. He's at number one."

"Wait... number one?!" I said surprised. "Then that's..."

"That's where Natsu's headed!" said Wendy.

"Yes. Natsu most likely chose that lacrima because he could smell him," said Erza. "He does have a keen nose after all."

"We have to get over there and help him!" said Wendy.

"I agree," I said. "Especially with his condition. You heard him over Hibiki's telepathy. He sounded like he could barely stand."

"Don't underestimate him," said Erza. "If there's anyone who can rely on in times like these, it's him." She then looked at me. "Besides Willy, I can't risk you going to Zero. Especially since he's out to get you. You stay here with Wendy and Carla." Then she started walking heading towards her designated lacrima. "Jellal, let's head to our posts. I've got number five and you got number six. Alright?"

Jellal didn't answer. This the four of us look at him. He was staring at the ground as if he had just saw something that made him frozen and then he held his hand over his left eye looking like he was in pain.

"Something wrong?" asked Erza.

"No. It's nothing. I'm perfectly fine," replied Jellal as he walked away still holding his hand on his head.

This made me feel a little bit worried. "I wonder what's wrong with him?" I wondered to myself. "He may say that he's fine, but... something appears to be off."

Then I turned to Erza. "Hey Ms. Erza, you go on ahead towards your lacrima. We'll see if Jellal is OK."

I then ran after Jellal hoping to catch up with him with Wendy and Carla on my heels. Soon enough, we caught up to Jellal as he was just about to enter in hidden hallway.

"Hey! Jellal! Hold on a sec!" I called.

Jellal then stopped and turned around to face us. "What are you two doing?" he asked.

"We came here to see if you were alright," I replied. "You look very injured."

"Are you feeling ill or something?" asked Wendy.

"I'm fine," replied Jellal. Then he turned to Wendy. "By the way, you can use healing magic is that correct?"

Wendy nodded in response. "Yes, but why do you ask?"

"Natsu's going to be fighting Zero, so I was hoping that you would use her magic to heal him and replenish his power," said Jellal.

Wendy hesitated not sure how to respond, but then Carla cut in.

"Don't be stupid! Using her healing powers drains a lot of her magic and she's had to use it who knows how many times!" said Carla furiously. "I'm sorry, but I'm putting my foot down!"

"Hey! Take it easy Ms. Carla," I said trying to calm her down. "There's no need to shout." I then spoke to Jellal. "That aside, I agree with her. Not only that, but it's way too dangerous for a girl like her."

"Very well then," said Jellal. "I understand. I'll just have to replenish his power myself then."

The three of us stared at him in surprise. "Now hold on a minute!" I said. "Didn't you hear me say that it's dangerous over there?! You have no idea what you could walking into! Why on earth would you want to risk such danger?!"

"Because I regained a memory," replied Jellal. "I remembered the unfathomable power this Natsu fellow has. The unfathomable power of hope. And in the meantime while I'm doing that, I want you two to destroy lacrima number six for me."

Wendy and I gasped taken a back from Jellal's request.

"Wait... us?" wondered Wendy with uncertainly. "... I can't. Willy I understand, but... not me. I told you, I don't know any destructive spells."

Jellal then bent down towards Wendy. "There's no need to doubt yourself," he said. "I know you can do it. You're a dragon slayer. Your magic was once used to against the dragons that once roamed the land. Consume the air... no the heavens and awaken the dragon that lies dormant within you!"

Wendy was still uncertain, but she said bravely, "Alright then, I'll do my best."

Jellal then looked towards me. "And since you're a fellow dragon slayer as well, you can help Wendy by teaching her as well as helping her destroy the lacrima."

"W-wait... you want me to teach Wendy a destructive dragon slaying spell?" I puzzled. "Well... I guess that makes sense considering that I'm also a dragon slayer. B-but I don't know if I can..."

Wendy and Carla looked at me shocked.

"Hold on a minute! You're telling me that you're also a dragon slayer?!" exclaimed Carla.

"Listen, there's no time to waste," interrupted Jellal. "Can you do it Willy? Can you help her?"

I looked at Jellal and nodded bravely "O-Of course I can. Besides, I'm a dragon slayer too. I can't just stand by in the sidelines while lives are on the line. I may have lost my memory, but I can still help and use my magic. Just leave it to me."

"Good. I will," said Jellal. "I'm going to head to lacrima number one to help Natsu while you all head for number six."

"Right," Me and Wendy said.

Then Jellal ran off heading for lacrima number one while me, Wendy, and Carla headed for lacrima number six.

* * *

 _Willy and Wendy head for lacrima number six while Jellal heads for number one to help Natsu!_

 _Will they be able to make it in time to destroy their respective lacrimas?_

 _Stay tuned and by the way, Happy New Year!_

 _Dragoman out!_


	52. Chapter 52 Feelings of Power

_Alright! It's a new year and countdown has begun for the next Fairy Tail Dvd volume and Fairy Tail Dragon Cry to come out!_

 _So look forward to it March!_

 _Until then, enjoy the story!_

* * *

Chapter 52

Feelings of Power

 **NO POV**

Natsu was making his way down the halls of Nirvana heading towards the lacrima he had chosen. His body was beaten, his clothes were torn, and he even felt so weary that he was about to collapse due to being attacked by Zero. However that wasn't going to stop him. He just kept on walking. He had a duty to fulfill and he wasn't about to let his friends or Cait Shelter. In fact, he couldn't afford to let all of the light guilds down.

He staggered as he walked trying his best not to fall over from his injuries, until he came into a brightly lit room. He could see the lacrima which was a giant gray crystal sphere in the center of the room. Then his eyes widened and his heart skipped a beat, for that wasn't the only thing he saw. There standing in front of the lacrima just like where he said would be, was Zero.

When Zero saw Natsu, he flashed an evil and amused smile.

"So you're still alive you little brat? Fancy seeing you here," he smirked. "Makes me wonder what you're doing here in the first place. Oh well, it doesn't matter because if you came here looking for a fight, you found one."

Natsu didn't answer at first as he took a few shaky deep breaths. Then he flashed a toothy smile while his eyes gave off a predatory gleam making Zero raise a brow in confusion.

"You know, I'm starting to wonder something too," he smirked as his fist burst into flames. "I'm wondering which one of us is gonna make it out of here alive. Me or you?"

Zero's look of confusion then changed into a predatory smile like Natsu's as the fire dragon slayer came dashing straight for him letting out a yell of battle.

* * *

In another hallway inside of Nirvana, Gray was slowly making his way towards his assigned lacrima. He too was still feeling hurt due to Zero's recent assault making him feel very weary, but he pressed on.

"Geez. This is one long hallway," he complained. "It's like it never ends."

Soon enough, he came too came into a brightly lit room where the second lacrima stood in the middle.

"Looks like I made it. That must be Lacrima number 2. I was worried that I wasn't gonna make it in time," Gray panted as he gazed up at the large object. "Well... it looks like it'll be easy enough to destroy."

He slowly stepped into the room and looked around trying to see if Zero was somewhere in the room. Luckily, Zero was nowhere to be seen.

"Doesn't look like there's any sign of Master Zero either. Lucky me," he said to himself. "But... if that's the case, then one of the others must be going head-to-head with that psycho right now. And I get the feeling I know who it is..."

* * *

Lucy and Happy were making their way towards Lacrima Number 3, but Lucy could hardly stand. Out of the others who got attacked by Zero, she was probably in the worst shape. She was so battered, that she had to lean against the wall for support as she walked. This made Happy worried.

"Lucy, do you wanna take a break to catch your breath?" he asked.

"I can't Happy," said Lucy weakly. "If I did, we wouldn't make it in time."

"I guess so, but I'm worried about you," said Happy worriedly. "You're barely able to walk right now, let one standing up."

"Don't worry Happy, I'll be fine," winced Lucy as she walked. "I may be a little slow right now... but I'll get there. I can't afford to stop, if we do... We'll let's not go there. We have to stay focused."

Happy could only look at Lucy with worry as she continued to walk seeming to use every once of her strength. Soon enough, they could see a brightly lit room in sight and they could also feel a large amount of magic power. Then they managed to stop at the opening of the room. In front of them was lacrima number three.

"We did it," gasped Lucy as she sank to her knees in exhaustion. "We made it to the lacrima."

"Are you OK Lucy?" asked Happy.

"To tell you the truth... I don't think so," replied Lucy weakly. "Honestly, I didn't want to admit it earlier, but... I'm not even sure if I can do this. I'm... completely out of magic power... but... I've got gotta do what I can to protect Wendy's guild. I don't want to let the others down and making myself ashamed. There's... no way we're gonna let Oración Seis beat us... so I refuse to give up!"

Lucy then struggled back to her feet leaning against the wall for support again, but then she stumbled almost falling over.

"Lucy!"

Happy was now more worried about the busty and injured blonde than before, but Lucy still remained standing.

"I'm fine... I'm not ready to throw in the towel... not yet!" she said as she continued to walk.

As she walked into the room, she could no longer use the wall for support, but she was able to walk on her own feet step by step until finally she was in front of the lacrima. Lucy was now out of breath and bent over trying to catch her breath.

"So what are you gonna do now?" asked Happy. "You said it yourself, you're out of magic power."

"I don't know..." panted Lucy. "But I've... come this far. I can't give up now. I'll destroy this thing... even if I have to throw myself at it! No matter how tired I am... I won't give up!"

"We've always admired you Ms. Lucy," said a pair of voices. "Such feelings like that will no doubt give you strength."

Lucy and Happy turned around behind them and saw an unexpected surprise. There standing behind them was the Celestial Spirit of the twins, Gemini.

"Gemini?!" gasped Lucy. "What in the world are you two doing here?"

"We heard everything you said," said Gemi. "That along made us inspired by your resolve."

"And we're deeply moved by your feelings and emotions," added Mini. "So therefore, we're here to help you."

Then in a puff of smoke, Gemini transformed into a copy of Lucy surprising the girl and Happy.

"Don't forget when we copy you, we share not only your appearance, but your magical abilities as well," smiled Gemini Lucy. "Allow us to be your resolve. We're more than capable of doing the job for you."

Lucy's and Happy's eyes streamed with tears of gratitude.

"Thank you Gemini," said Lucy. "Thank you so much..."

* * *

Ichiya was practically crawling his way to his designated lacrima due to still being tied to a pole. He was tired and dirty, but he kept on going.

"This is exhausting, but I must hurry!" Ichiya said to himself. "No matter what happens to me, I must get there in time! Man! I'm Ichiya Vandalay Kotobuki or Blue Pegasus! I will fulfill my responsibility and destroy that lacrima for my guild! For the alliance! And for my lovely Erza! Man!"

Ichiya kept on crawling resolute do fulfilling his mission. Then he felt a strange smell waft into his sensitive nose.

"This perilous-smelling parfume," he gasped. "I'm almost there. Man."

Soon enough, he came into the where the fourth lacrima stood in the middle of it.

"Man! Man! Man! Man! Man!"

He crawled closer and closer to the lacrima not realizing the was a dip in the floor until it was too late. He rolled along the floor until he came to just in front of it. He was exhausted, tired, and was on the brink of fall unconscious, but he remained strong.

"Not yet," he gasped. "I can't afford to black out after I've made it this far and I'm so close..."

He looked up to the ceiling and then thought about his beloved comrades, The Trimens and remembered how hard they fought in this battle so far. That thought alone gave him strength to retain conscious.

"Hibiki... Ren... Eve..." he murmured. "I ask that you all lend me strength. Lend me the strength to get through this."

He wiggled his hips causing a vial to slip out from his belt. He rolled over and managed to get the vial in his hands. He then uncorked it and inhaled deeply taking in all of the perfume inside it. His body began to glow magic power and his body and muscles bulked up making him taller and more muscular in appearance. The binds that held him strained until they couldn't contain his muscles anymore. They finally snapped setting Ichiya free.

* * *

Erza herself had arrived at lacrima number five without any trouble or problems. She looked around expecting Zero to be at the lacrima, but to her worry, Zero was nowhere to be seen.

"Master Zero isn't here. I knew it," she said to herself. "He must be at lacrima number one after all."

Her eyes then narrowed as her hand tightened around her bisentō. She was worried about her friend that was probably locked in a battle with Zero, but at the same time she had confidence in him.

"Natsu..." she said out loud to herself. "No matter what happens, I'll always have faith in you."

* * *

 **WILLY'S POV**

Me, Wendy, and Carla were making our way towards lacrima number six through a passageway. Carla was carrying Wendy using her wings while I walked alongside them. I could see that Carla was struggling a little as she carried Wendy, but she kept on going.

"Thank you for doing this Carla," said Wendy. "I really appreciate it. But... I'm a little worried though. Do you think that Jellal is going to be alright?"

"You should be a little more concerned with yourself child," advised Carla. "This is not going be an easy task."

"Carla's right. We should stay focused on the ask at hand," I added. "Jellal's counting on us and we can't afford to let him down. Although, I must ask you Wendy, are you sure you want to go through with this? I can handle the lacrima myself if you want to."

"Yes. I'm sure," said Wendy. "This is partially my fault, so I'll do whatever I can to make it right."

"And what about you Ms. Carla? Are you doing OK up there?" I asked. "You can take a break if it's too exhausting for you."

"I'll be fine," said Carla. "Besides, I can't really say that trust you no thanks to that little stunt you pulled before. I have to do this in case that you go and attack us again."

"Carla!" said Wendy giving her a disapproving glare.

"It's alright," I soothed. "It's only natural that she would be overprotective, especially since after what I did. I really must apologize for that. I was not in control of my actions at the time."

We didn't say anything more for the next few minutes as we walked. Then Wendy spoke.

"Excuse me sir, but... Your name is Willy right? I have a question to ask you," she said. "If you're willing to answer."

"Ask away," I replied.

"Jellal said that you know dragon slayer just like me and if that's the case... then that would mean that you had a dragon teach you," said Wendy. "I was wondering if you knew anything about a dragon named Grandeeney."

"A dragon named Grandeeney?" I puzzled.

"Now hold on a minute child, I know that he's a dragon slayer, but I don't think that you should be asking him that," chided Carla. "Especially since we're not sure that we should trust him."

"I can't say that I have," I replied ignoring Carla. "Then again my memory is all mixed up, so who can say? I most likely forgot."

"Did you lose your memory as well?" asked Wendy.

"It would seem so," I replied. "I can't remember a single thing about myself, what happened to me, or what I've done. Although... I've been told that I've done some terrible things to people."

"I'll say you have," said Carla. "You were Brain's bodyguard after all. Who knows what things you've done?"

This made me clench my hand into a fist. It made me feel a bit angry that Carla was being so blunt, but I also felt a pang of guilt.

"Carla! That's enough!" chided Wendy. "Don't be so hard on him."

"She's right though," I said. "If what I heard was true, then I'm responsible for hurting a lot of people. I can't say that I'm proud of that considering that I was basically a puppet, but I intended to make it right. And what better way to start than by helping you stop they very people that controlled me. Don't worry, I have no intention of attacking you two. Especially a girl that's so kind and innocent."

Wendy blushed a little from the compliment and Carla looked away from me in a huff.

Soon enough, we could see the end of the passageway in sight. We walked through it and we were welcomed to the sight of lacirma number six. Carla gently dipped down and gently set Wendy on the ground.

"Looks like we're here," said Carla. "That no doubt must be lacrima number six just as Jellal said."

"It's so huge," gasped Wendy. "Are we gonna be able to destroy that thing?"

"We will Wendy," I said. "Speaking of which, how much time do we have?"

"About five minutes," replied Wendy. "Then Nirvana will be ready to fire again."

I turned to look towards Wendy. "In that case, I'd better get started teaching you," I said. "We don't have a lot of time, but I'll try to keep it brief and understandable as much as I can. Are you ready?"

Wendy gave me a firm nod. "I'm ready Willy," she said. "Please teach me."

"Alright then. Let's get started," I said. "I'm going to teach you one of the most basic but powerful dragon slayer spells I know. The dragon's roar attack. It may seem a bit complicated, but it's a lot easier than you think. Since you're a sky dragon slayer, all you need to do is take in as much air as you can and then when your magic power reaches its peak, unleash it all at once at the lacrima. You think you can do that?"

Wendy gave a nod and she stepped forward staring at the lacrima.

"I can do this," she said psyching herself up. "I'm gonna unleash the dragon inside of me, so I can protect my guild! Grandeeney if you can hear me, please lend me your power!"

Me and Carla looked at the long-haired bluenette in amazement from her determination, as she closed her eyes and began to concentrate. A few seconds had passed. Then I sensed some magic power stirring within the girl and a calm breeze began to emit from her body.

"That's it Wendy," I said. "Keep going."

"Remember, you have to stay focused," added Carla.

"I know," said Wendy still concentrating. "Don't worry."

As Wendy continued to focus, the wind around her gradually began to grow a little stronger and her magic power grew and grew. I couldn't help, but feel impressed with this girl. I may have lost my memory, but I never met a girl like her. She came off to me as the shy type, but she had a quite the magic power and she had some courage too. But I didn't have time to be admiring. I had to throw my weight too. I stood next to Wendy and closed my eyes as well focusing my magic power.

* * *

 **NO POV**

The fight between Natsu and Zero had begun. Natsu bravely went on the attack using an Iron Fist, but Zero stepped back dodging the blow. Natsu tried attacked again using Talon, but once again Zero dodged by ducking. Then Natsu unleashed a breath attack hoping to hit Zero with a widespread attack causing fire and smoke to billow everywhere. However when the smoke dissipated, Zero still stood completely unharmed.

"Well now. You've gotten much more agile than before. I'm impressed," said Zero. He pointed out his middle and index finger, aimed at Natsu, and then unleashed his own spell. "DARK CAPRICCIO!"

A giant spiral stream of green and amber colored dark magic erupted from his hand shooting straight at Natsu. He immediately jumped out of the way as the Dark Capriccio drilled into the floor where he stood disappearing into it.

"I should take this opportunity to let you know that this isn't the same power as Brain used," smirked Zero. "My power as well as my control over it is twice as strong as his!"

With a wave of his hand, the Dark Capriccio Zero unleashed came shooting up from the ground making Natsu barely dodge, but still take damage. Zero waved his hand again making the attack bend and shoot right towards Natsu again making him immediately jump out of the way. This went on and on until Natsu started to take damage from the assault. All the while, Zero was laughing enjoying the dance Natsu was doing in front of his eyes.

"You were asking which one of us was going to make it out alive right?" he chuckled sadistically. "Well I think the answer's obvious. It's going to me!"

He waved his hand again and the Dark Capriccio came right towards Natsu again threatening to pierce him, but Natsu was ready for the attack this time.

"FIRE DRAGON IRON FIST!"

Using his fist, Natsu punched right at the Dark Capriccio to defend, but the spell was so strong and powerful that it immediately began pushing Natsu back. Bracing his arm, Natsu put every ounce of weight and muscle against the spell desperately trying to stand his ground. Then was a great amount of effort and in a burst of flame, Natsu was able to destroy the Dark Capriccio. However, the amount of effort took a lot out of him.

"Well color me impressed," said Zero. "I never expected you to stop a piercing spell like that."

Then suddenly from seemingly out of nowhere, a stream fire shot right into Natsu forcing the Fire Dragon Slayer back, but he managed to skid to a stop.

Zero immediately snapped his head towards the direction the flames came from. "Who's there?!" he demanded.

Natsu looked up and then he and Zero saw the very person who attacked him. There standing just above them in the entrance of a passageway, was a certain man with blue short hair with a tattoo below his eyes.

"Jellal!" growled Natsu immediately feeling his blood beginning to boil.

"Well, hello there," greeted Zero who was amused to see him. "I take it that your memory has returned?"

"Yes," replied Jellal was looking right at Natsu never taking his eyes off him.

Natsu then got back up on his feet and immediately ran straight at Jelall with an angry intent etched on his face. "Jellal, you bastard!" he roared.

"Stop Natsu," said Jellal calmly as he raised his hand and shot another stream of fire at Natsu setting his body on fire.

"Did you forget already?! Flames don't work on me!" said Natsu as she shrugged the flames off.

"I'm well aware," replied Jellal. "In fact, I just remembered. You're a fire dragon slayer and you use the power of flames to amplify your power. Not only that, but you're also... the hope. The hope we need to defeat Zero."

Natsu was now surprised and confused as was Zero.

"You liar!" seethed Zero. "Based on your actions, your memory hasn't fully returned at all!"

"I didn't lie to you about that," Jellal said to him. "However, only my memories of Natsu have returned. Whether my memories return or not, it will not dissuade me from my goal, Zero. I will stop Nirvana."

Now Natsu was feeling more confused than before. This was certainly a different Jellal than the one he remembered. "I don't understand. What do you mean 'memory'?!" he demanded.

"When I awoke, I found that my mind had been wiped clean," explained Jellal. "I've also been told that I had behaved like a vile cretin, but I personally had no recollection of that either. But... that doesn't change the fact that I've not only brought harm to not only to you, but to all of Fairy Tail as well. Especially Erza. It's time for me to make amends. I want to stop Nirvana and help you protect Wendy's guild."

Natsu suddenly shot towards Jellal and smacked him right in the face with his fist. Then he grabbed him by the collar and lifted him into the air seething with anger. "You trying to tell me that you forgot everything that you did to us?! To hell with that!" he yelled fiercely. "Quit pretending to be on our side! You may have forgotten what happened in the past, but I sure as hell haven't! I still remember that you made Erza cry!"

"Natsu please, take my flames for now and move on," begged Jellal. "I understand where you're coming from, but this isn't the time for this."

"How pathetic," interrupted Zero shaking his head. "If you two are going to argue, must you do it in front of me? You're starting to annoy me and wasting my time!"

He pointed his fingers like a gun and then fired a Dark Capriccio at the two. Natsu looked back in time to see Jellal who had somehow got out of his grasp stand in front of him shielding him and taking the full force of Zero's spell right in his abdomen. His feelings of anger and rage towards Jellal had immediately changed to shock and disbelief. Not only that, but it also made Natsu remember how Simon who was a friend of Erza's back in the Tower of Heaven did he exact same thing to protect him and Erza. Jellal grunted in pain as he collapsed to floor unable to remain standing.

"Jellal... why... why did you..." stammered Natsu.

Jellal weakly looked up at him. "If you really want to kill me Natsu, then go right ahead. I won't hold it against you. I'm already battered and tattered," he said weakly. "But first, let me give you the power you need to defeat Zero."

He held up his hand and a bright golden flame appeared in his hand. Natsu stared at the flame in wonder amazed by how pure and golden it looked.

"What... is that?" he wondered. "I've never seen... such a golden flame before."

"This is the Flame of Rebuke," explained Jellal. "It holds all of my magic power within it. I don't expect you to forgive me after all that's happened. All I want is to give you strength, because I believe in you. Erza trusts you more than anyone and so... I shall as well."

Now Natsu could see that everything Jellal said and did was the truth. He was still confused as well as still not trusting of the man, but he decided to put his differences aside and accept the Flame of Rebuke. He took Jellal's hand and the Flame of Rebuke's powerful flames enveloped his entire body. Then he began scarfing down the flames by the handfuls. When he was finished eating them, Natsu turned back towards Zero, but spoke to Jellal.

"Thanks for the chow," he said. "I've accepted your offering, Jellal."

"You've made a grave mistake, boy," said Zero. "By eating the Flame of Rebuke, you now share the sins of your mortal enemy."

"I couple of sins aren't gonna scare me," said Natsu. "Everyone in Fairy Tail's got their fair share of them. The true sin is looking away from someone when they just want to help you. Especially when they give you the power to destroy evil like you!"

Before Zero had a chance to react, Natsu shot forwards his body cloaked in flames and landed a blow right in his abdomen in a wicked headbutt knocking the wind out of him. While Zero was stunned, Natsu then grabbed him by the uniform and then threw him sending him flying across the room hitting the wall. Zero then retaliated by unleashing a Dark Capriccio, but to his surprise, Natsu swatted the spell away with a Fire Dragon Iron Fist. Then in a blinding speed, Natsu came straight at Zero again and unleashed a powerful and fast barrage of punches pummeling Zero in the face. Zero took the hits in stride and then gave Natsu a kick practically flipping him, but Natsu recovered planting his hand in the ground and kick Zero in the gut. Zero flashed a maniac grin and retaliated once again with a back hand punch. The blow connected, but Natsu took the blow and began chuffing his cheeks until he unleashed a breath attack with an incredible force. The blast sent Zero rocketing upwards until he slammed right into the ceiling.

As Zero fell to the ground with a thud, he took notice that Natsu had underwent a transformation. His flames were now a golden color like the Flame of Rebuke, his canine teeth were now longer, and his skin now had scale-like pattern on both of his forearms and on the sides of his face.

"This power... That light... No... it can't be..." he murmured. "Dragon Force."

Natsu looked at his hands in amazement feeling the power surge throughout his body. "Man... this is crazy. It's just like that time I ate that Etherion," he said with amazement. "Awesome! It's my own strength's been doubled! Maybe even tripled!"

"I never would have thought that you had that power," said Zero. "Dragon Force is said to be the final form of Dragon Slayer Magic. The slayers that are blessed with its power are said to gain power so destructive, that it rivals that of even the most formidable of dragons." He then smiled with interest and beckoned Natsu. "This must be the reason why Brain had such a keen interest in that puppet, Shark. I'm intrigued dragon slayer. Come! Show me your power!"

"You sure you want me to do that?" asked Natsu. "Especially with this power, I can beat you now?"

"Yes I do," smirked Zero. "Let me see that power of the dragons for myself!"

"Fine then! But don't say I didn't warn you!" roared Natsu as he went on the attack.

The two then clashed with their fists causing the entire room to shake slightly. Zero then placed his palms on the ground and unleashed a spell.

"DARK GRAVITY!"

The area around Natsu grew heavy and then the ground crumbled and broke and Natsu fell into the hole. It seemed that Natsu had fallen out of Nirvana towards the ground below, but luckily he was able to fall on the edge of the hole to save himself.

"Oh man. That was too close," he said to himself.

"Come now! Don't tell me that this is all the mighty Dragon Slayer has!" said Zero as dive-bombed from above unleashing a wave of Dark Rondos.

Natsu shot fire from the bottoms of his feet managing to rocket out of the way from the assault, but he had little time to reprieve as Zero landed on the ground and went on the attack again.

"ZERO SLASH!"

He unleashed a Dark Capriccio, but he was now using it like a whip. Natsu was barely able to dodge in time as the attack hit the ground below him. Zero whipped his Zero Slash again and again, but Natsu nimbly dodged being able to avoid any damage. He chuffed his cheeks again and unleashed a Fire Dragon Roar. Zero took the hit full force, but he dispersed the flames with ease and seemed to be unaffected. Zero then attacked with a magic powered fist forcing Natsu to go on the defensive. When Zero's fist collided with Natsu's arm, a huge explosion rocked the area and dust and smoke billowed everywhere. Natsu immediately got out of the cloud to find Zero just above him unleashing another spell.

"DARK DELETE!"

From his hand, several spheres of dark magic were shot from his hand. Natsu jumped and he ran dodging them, but then some of the spheres managed to land a hit causing a small explosion from Natsu's location, but when the smoke cleared, Natsu was still standing with glaring eyes filled with the intent to defeat Zero. Zero smirked and then fired another Dark Capriccio which was faster than the ones before. This spell scored a direct hit sending Natsu flying into the air and crashing into a wall. Zero chuckled maliciously as he fired another Dark Delete spell at the location where Natsu crashed, but then Natsu bursting out unharmed and came at Zero with a fist raised. Zero not wanting to back down jumped out and also came with a first raised. The two swung their fists and the collision sent an incredible shockwave throughout the area. Rocks fell and even more dust few, but Zero proved to be stronger as he sent Natsu crashing into the ground flat on his face. Zero chuckled maliciously as he walked over to Natsu and began stomping on him.

"Is that it?! Is that the best your Dragon Force can do?!" he mocked as he stomped. "Dragons once ruled this world and ancient times and this is the extent of their power?! Brain was so foolishly misguided having an interest in that fool of puppet! What a joke!"

He then gave Natsu a hard and sharp kick sending the boy tumbling across and into a heap.

"Give it up boy. I am Master Zero of the Oración Seis," he said. "I'm far more powerful than a lowly guild wizard like you could ever hope to be and you know it. Especially since you're all alone. Too bad your friends aren't even here to help you. Even that foolish puppet Shark."

Natsu grunted as he once more, but shakily stood on his feet. "You're wrong about that..." he said. "My friends... they're all reaching out to me."

Zero raised a brow in amusement as Natsu continued.

"I can hear them... loud and clear," he continued. "They're telling me to never give up... never give up the fight... no matter what happens... They're the reason that I'm still standing right now..." His magic power began to flare into life once again as he was once more enveloped in flames. "I can feel it! Their strength... their determination... It's pulsing throughout my body!"

"What a shame," mused Zero seeing the power Natsu was now exhibiting. "If only there was someway I could harness the power of Dragon Force for myself, but in the end... that will not be possible. Since I have no further use of you, I will send you to the darkness from whence using my ultimate spell of darkness!"

Zero then began to gather a large amount of dark magic while Natsu hands flared with his own large amount of magic power. He then charged at each him unleashing his most powerful spell.

"DRAGON SLAYER SECRET ART! FLAME LOTUS EXPLODING FLAME BLADE!"

He swung his arms making the flames turn into a huge torrent of flame, but at the same time, Zero had gathered enough dark magic to unleash his spell.

"Now before my eyes, history will now come to an end, and the Genesis of Nothingness will be ushered in!" he yelled as he clapped his hands together. "GENESIS ZERO!"

From his hands, a giant wave of dark erupted and the darkness began to take shape of several phantom-like apparitions. The apparitions moaned and wailed appearing to be those who were suffering in the afterlife as they enveloped Natsu like a wave.

"Now open, gate of the restless wailing!" commanded Zero. "O travelers of the void, consume that boy's soul! His memory! His very existence! Make him cease to be! In the name your Master Zero!"

The wave of phantoms then began to engulf Natsu using their overwhelming numbers. Natsu tried to fight them, but he fell deeper and deeper into the darkness until he was swallowed up entirely as the darkness vanished along with him without a trace leaving Zero to be the only man in the room.

"Now, you too are a traveler of the void," said Zero smirking with triumph. "Farewell, Dragon Slayer."

* * *

Natsu didn't have any idea where he was now. He couldn't see, he felt weak, he couldn't even move. All he could was float around aimlessly in the void unsure of what to do.

"Damn it... this sucks!" he thought. "I can't see! And I'm all out of magic power! What the hell am I supposed to do?!"

Then, a memory popped into Natsu's mind.

 _It was a memory of when he was undergoing training with Igneel. He was trying to use his Fire Dragon Swordhorn to smash a large boulder, but he couldn't and ended up getting a large lump on his head._

 _"Owie!" he yelped. "There's no way I can do this! It's too hard!"_

 _"Come now Natsu! Are you really going to allow yourself to be defeated so easily?!" scolded Igneel. "And you call yourself the son of Igneel?!"_

 _"Aww come on! Do you really expect me to shatter that huge alone do you?!" complained Natsu._

 _"Why do you accept defeat without actually trying?" shot back Igneel. "I know you have the power to do so." He then spoke a lot kinder. "You need to stop doubting yourself. Remember, you are a true dragon slayer. Never forget to take pride in that, and know no matter what happens... I'll always be with you and proud of you."_

 _"Well... all right then," said Natsu. "I'll try it again, but... I still don't know what to do."_

Natsu then smirked to himself. Back when he was a kid, he had no idea what Igneel meant nor what to do, but he knew exactly what to do now. It was time to unleash the full extent of his dragon force.

* * *

At lacrima number two, Gray took his stance and used his magic to create a large cannon of ice taking aim at the lacrima.

"Alright then! Here we go!" he yelled. "ICE CANNON!"

He pulled the trigger and then fired a large blast of ice right at the lacrima.

* * *

At lacrima number three, Gemini pulled out a gold key ready to summon a spirit.

"Alright then here we go!" said Gemini Lucy. "Mind if I use Taurus?"

"Sure! Go for it!" said Lucy.

Then the two spoke in unison. "Open, Gate of the Golden Bull! Taurus!"

In a burst of tight and with a bellowing moo, Taurus appeared on the scene.

"We're counting on you Taurus!" said the two girls. "Take out that lacrima with everything you got!"

"Moo! If I do this, will I get a scmooooch from the two of you?" asked Taurus.

"Just take out that lacrima!" snapped Lucy. "Hurry!"

"You got it Miss Lucy!" acknowledged Taurus.

He grabbed his ax and jumped straight at the lacrima and gave it a mighty swing.

* * *

At lacrima number four, Ichiya was hulked up to the limit was filled to the brim with power.

"Get ready! This is my full power using my power parfum to the max! Hope you're ready Oración Seis, for you're about to receive a lesson in strength and determination courtesy of Ichiya Vandalay Kotobuki of Blue Pegasus!" he roared as he leapt into the air towards the lacrima. "INFINITY SPARKLE! MAN!"

He clenched his parfum powered fist and swung at the lacrima with all of his might.

* * *

At lacrima number five, Erza prepared herself to destroy the lacrima as well.

"REQUIP! BLACK WING ARMOR!"

In a burst of light, Erza's armor changed into armor that black with silver trims, revealing a lot of her stomach and cleavage and had a pair of wings looking like a dragon or bat. She also wielded a sword and her hair was tied in a ponytail. She poised her sword and concentrated.

"We only have one shot at this, so I'll put all of my remaining power into this final blow!" she said to herself.

Then with a mighty yell, she flew into the air at the lacrima and brought down her sword with all her might.

* * *

 **WILLY'S POV**

Me and Wendy continued to concentrate summoning up every once of magic power we had. The wind around Wendy was stronger than before and I could feel my magic power reaching its peak as well. Then I sensed that Wendy's power was at its highest as was mine. Now was the time to strike.

"Wendy! Unleash it now!" I yelled. "Give it everything you got!"

Wendy's eyes snapped open and she began to chuff her cheeks as did I.

"SKY DRAGON..."

"WATER DRAGON..."

"ROOOOOAAAAARRRRRR!"

With Wendy's being a green stream-like tornado while mine was a blue whirlpool of water, both of our breath attacks were unleashed shooting straight for the lacrima.

* * *

Zero was reveling at his victory when he saw something that made his eyes widen in utter disbelief. From the void, a giant burst of flame erupted from it and out from that void came Natsu who was now looking more powerful than ever. As he emerged from the void, all the apparitions from void seemed to be screaming in agony as his flames burned them all away.

"No it can't be!" exclaimed Zero in shock. "How did he come back from the void?! And his golden flames... they're burning away my magic!"

Then Natsu let out a bellowing roar as his flames flared into life. The flames began to take shape becoming a silhouette of a dragon. And for the first time in his entire life, Zero's eyes widened and he began to sweat with fear. He had seen many wizards in his life, but never someone that could make him fearful like this.

"This boy..." he thought. "His lost magic allows him to have the power of a dragon, and in turn give him the power to defeat one... So this... is a true dragon slayer."

Natsu shot straight at Zero landing a overwhelming powerful punch right into his face sending him flying into the air.

"I'm done playing game with you pal!" snarled Natsu. "I"m ending this right here, right now!"

He was enveloped in golden fire and he prepared to land the finishing blow.

"DRAGON SLAYER SECRET ART, HIDDEN FIRE FORM: FLAME LOTUS PHOENIX SWORD!"

He propelled himself at Zero leaving a long trail of flames in his wake and slammed into him with a devastating headbutt right in Zero's gut. The flames enveloped Zero as he was sent rocketing upwards crashing through floor level after floor level until they were back in the lacrima room heading right for lacrima number one. With another mighty roar, Natsu kept on going using all of the strength and magic he could muster until he slammed Zero right into the lacrima destroying it instantly.

* * *

At the same time, everyone else using their attacks was able to destroy their lacrimas as well. Being unable to take the assault, all of the leg joints around Nirvana exploded with six mighty booms as they city began to crumble having to have been finally shut down.

* * *

 _Nirvana has finally been crushed thanks to the Allied Forces!_

 _Stay tuned for the next chapter!_

 _Dragoman out!_


	53. Chapter 53 Doing the Time

_Here is the next chapter! Hope you guys like it!_

* * *

Chapter 53

Doing the Time

 **WILLY'S POV**

When me and Wendy destroyed the lacrima, we heard several other explosions seeming to come from all around us and we could also hear the sound of something winding down which could only mean one thing and that made my eyes brighten with joy.

"I... don't believe it," I murmured before I let out a whoop of joy. "We did it! We did it! Nirvana's history!"

Wendy and Carla's eyes filled with tears of joy feeling happy too. Carla leaped into Wendy's arms and she hugged her tightly.

"I'm so proud of you Wendy," she wept happily. "Cait Shelter's been saved!"

"Yeah! We stopped Nirvana!" cried Wendy who hugged Carla in earnest. Then she immediately went up to me and jumped into my arms in a hug. "Thank you so much Willy! You really helped me out a lot!"

I caught her and hugged back with earnest twirling her around. "I didn't do anything much," I replied. "You were able to use the dragon roar on your first try and all I did was teach you. You deserve some of the credit too."

Then a sudden rumbling rudely interrupted our celebration. Rubble then began to fall as the entire room began to crumble.

"Oh crap! This place is coming down!" I yelled.

"Then we better get out of here before we get caved in!" cried Carla.

The three of us then took off running leaving the lacrima room behind us and into the passageway hoping to find an escape route. As we ran, Carla was dragging Wendy by her hand while I ran ahead.

"Come on you guys, hurry up!" I yelled.

"We're going as fast as we can!" cried Carla.

Then the last thing any of us expected to happen happened. I didn't know why or how this happened, but Wendy somehow managed to trip making herself fall face first into the ground. Me and Carla's eyes widened in horror as the ceiling crumbled and the rubble was falling right towards her.

"Wendy!" yelled Carla as she made a mad dash towards her.

I immediately reacted by dashing right towards Wendy while scooping up Carla. Then just as the rubble was about to crush us, I slammed my hands into the ground and unleashed a spell.

"WATER DRAGON GEYSER WALL!"

A large burst of water erupted from the ground and blocked the rubble from falling. It managed to save us, but I couldn't keep it up much longer. The weight of it was going to eventually crush us.

"Dammit! I can't hold it much longer!" I yelled. "Wendy! You and Carla get out of here! Leave me here and save yourselves!"

Wendy and Carla stared at me in shock.

"No! We won't leave you!" cried Wendy. "We're leaving this place together!"

"Just go!" I yelled. "I'll be fine! Just leave me and go before I completely lose my strength!"

Wendy and Carla stood there unsure of what to do, then a voice suddenly boomed out.

"IRON ROCK WALL!"

Then several pillars of rock suddenly shot up from the ground holding up the rubble and shielding us. I turned around behind me to see that a tall bald man was there holding Wendy and Carla in his arms.

"Who the heck is that?!" I cried.

"It's Mr. Jura!" said Wendy happily.

"But how?! I thought you were done for!" said Carla.

"I simply needed time to recover my magic power," explained Jura. "We must hurry now. Nirvana is rapidly collapsing!"

"But how are we gonna get out of here?!" cried Wendy.

I looked around through the rock trying to find the answer to that question, then a familiar scent wafted into my nose just to the left of me. The smell of fresh air. This gave me an idea.

"Hey! Mr. Jura or whatever your name is!" I yelled. "Make sure Wendy and Carla are safe! And when I give the word, follow me as you run as fast as you can!"

"Understood!" acknowledged Jura.

"Wait, what are you going to do?!" asked Carla.

"This!" I said as I took a deep breath chuffing my cheeks. "WATER DRAGON ROAR!"

A huge stream of water erupted from my mouth blasting through the rubble and creating an opening leading towards outside.

"Come on! Run as fast as you can toward that opening!" I yelled.

Me and Jura carrying Wendy and Carla ran towards the opening as fast as our feet could carry us. The opening I made grew closer and closer and the rubble kept on falling, but with each of us taking a giant leap, we both jumped through the opening making it outside. The wind whipped at us as we plummeted to the ground making Wendy and Carlaa scream. Then with a wave of his hand with his fingers pointed, a pillar of rock erupted from the ground. Jura was able to land on the pillar and slid on it until he landed safely the ground. I however used another way to get to the ground safely.

"WATER DRAGON WINGS!"

A pair of water wings sprouted forth from my back and using them as makeshift parachutes slowed down the descent of my fall until I too landed on the ground safely.

"That was some quick thinking on your part Sir Willy," said Jura. "You have my thanks."

"I'm the one who should be thanking you for saving us," I said. "If you hadn't come along, I'm not sure what would have happened."

Then we saw a group of people a few feet away from us. One of them was Erza who was now wearing what appeared to be normal clothes, another was a girl with blonde hair wearing pigtails, one was a young bulky muscled man with spiky red hair wearing nothing, but tattered shorts, and finally a man that was bare chested with black pants as well as black spiky hair. There was also a small blue cat next to the blonde girl.

"I guess that they're the rest of the people that I heard on Hibiki's telepathy," I thought to myself.

"Thank goodness! Everyone's alright!" said Jura.

"Even that silly blue tomcat," added Carla flaty.

Then Jura, Wendy, and Carla went up to them with me following close behind. Wendy then looked around noticing that someone was missing. Two certain people were not among them.

"Where's Natsu and Jellal? Are they here?" she asked.

"I don't see then anywhere," said the muscle red haired man. "Could they both still be inside?"

"I hope he's OK," said the blonde with worry.

"Don't worry Lucy," said the black haired boy. "Knowing that idiot, he's probably lost in the Woodsea or something."

I too was starting to get worried about Jellal and prayed that he would be alright. Suddenly, the ground seemed to shift and rise up. From underneath the earth a stout man with orange puffy hair with a boxy face emerged carrying a boy with spiky pink hair in one arm and Jellal in his other arm.

"Love is what drives us to save our friends!" the man said. "Oh yeah!"

"Who the heck is that?!" I cried. "And where did he come from?!"

"It's that Hoteye fellow from the Oración Seis!" cried Carla. "But I have no idea why he's here!"

When I heard Carla say that, I immediately prepared to attack this Hoteye guy, but Jura intervened by raising his hand.

"It's alright," said Jura. "It's a long story, but he's on our side now. There's no need for you to worry."

I still felt a little uneasy, but I decided to trust Jura's word. Wendy then immediately ran up to the pink haired boy and tackled him in a joyful hug feeling happy to see him.

"Natsu!" she cried burying her face his shirt. "You did it... you really kept your promise... If it wasn't for you and your friends, Cait Shelter would have been gone. You're the greatest."

Natsu was a bit surprised, but then he smiled. "Well, there's no way that I did it on my own," he said. "We all helped out, even you yourself. This calls for a big high five! You with me?"

"Yes!" replied Wendy.

The two then gave each other a very spirited high five. Seeing this sight alone made me smile a little. It made me glad that I took part in saving Wendy's guild even though I was only awake for a short time. Then I noticed Jellal who was standing alone by a log in his own thoughts and the others noticed it too.

"Hey. Who's the creepy guy over there?" asked the black haired boy. "Another pretty boy from Blue Pegasus?"

"I don't know," said Lucy. "Never seen him before."

"It's Jellal," replied Erza.

The black haired boy eyes widened in bewilderment while Lucy's were wide with terror.

"You're kidding me?! That Jellal?!" exclaimed the black haired boy.

"Oh no! Not him again!" squeaked Lucy.

"It's alright now. He's changed," said Erza calmly. "He's not the same man as he once was before.

"He's completely lost his memory," added Wendy.

"Are you sure?" asked the black haired boy doubtfully. "I still don't think that we can trust that guy."

"It's OK. I promise he's a good person," reassured Wendy. "And it's not just him either."

"And it's not just him who has lost his memory," said Erza. "There's someone else here who's had his memory wiped clean."

She then looked towards me causing the black haired boy and Lucy to look at me too making my heart skip a beat. The moment the two saw me, Lucy looked confused while the black-haired boy's eyes widened in shock.

"Wait a sec... isn't that..." began Lucy but then she trailed off.

The black-haired boy didn't answer. He just continued to stare at me in disbelief as he slowly walked up to me. "Willy... is it really you?" he asked. "The real you?"

I felt a little nervous unsure of how to respond, but I slowly nodded my head. "Yes. That's my name," I replied.

Gray then came up to me and embraced me in a hug surprising me along with Lucy and everyone else who was watching. "Willy... you're back," he said hugging me tightly. "I can't believe it... you're back... after all his time... you're back!"

I could only stand there while Gray hugged me seeming to be in tears, but I still felt a little puzzled about this boy.

"Um... excuse me," I said. "But... who are you exactly?"

Gray then looked at me in surprise. "Come on man, you know me," he said. "It's me, Gray."

"I'm sorry Gray, but... I don't know you," I replied shaking my head.

"It's like I said, Willy doesn't remember anything either," said Erza sadly. "Most likely it was due to being under Brain's control."

Gray sighed seeming to be disappointed, but then he looked up smiling. "I guess that doesn't matter," he said. "What matters is that you're finally back to your old self again. Besides, when we get back to Magnolia, everyone's gonna be happy to see you."

"You... really think so?" I asked still feeling unsure. "Even after... everything I did? I mean... I did cause a lot of trouble by letting that Zero guy control me. Not to mention... I don't remember anything or anyone."

"It wasn't your fault young Willy," said Jura. "You were nothing more, but a puppet. Besides, you're a kind and courageous soul. If not for your quick actions, we never would have made it out of Nirvana alive."

"You also taught me how to use the dragon roar," added Wendy. "And you helped me destroy the lacrima. I'd say that makes you a good person in my book."

I couldn't help but blush from the compliments. "R-really? You think so?"

"Of course everyone thinks so," said Natsu who had finally spoke up. "Memory or no memory, you're our friend and we think it's high time you came home. Gramps and the others have been worried sick about you."

Everyone smiled and nodded in agreement. I looked around feeling a bit awkward, but I was happy to be around such kind people. Just then, I heard a cry of pain causing me along with everyone else to look. The muscular red-haired man stood a few feet away his face pressed against on what appeared to be an invisible wall.

"My handsome face!" he yelled.

"What's going on with you man?" asked Gray.

"I wanted to go make a letter of the alphabet," said the red haired man. "But I ran into an invisible wall!"

"Look at that," said Wendy pointing to the ground. "There's some weird writing here."

Sure enough, was some strange writing on the ground. The writing was glowing purple as it was encircled around them in the shape of a square. I then put my hand out and then felt something like a wall beside me.

"What... is this?" I wondered.

"An enchantment!" everyone cried.

"Who is the world would do something like this?!" demanded Carla.

"And how come we didn't notice who cast it?!" cried Happy worriedly.

"I don't know," said Gray. "Could this be Fried's work? No, this enchantment's way more powerful than his is."

"Then how are we gonna get out of here?!" asked Lucy.

"Alright! Who did this?!" demanded Natsu now looking angry. "Show yourselves!"

Then we all heard the sounds of footsteps. Next thing we knew, we were immediately approached by an army of men. They were all wearing strange garish outfits that were white with purple sleeves and aqua-marine aprons with white cross symbols on them. They also wore strange white hats and wielded long metal staffs with spheres at the end. I had no idea who these people were, but even I knew that they had to be some kind of army. A young man then stepped out from the crowd of men. He appeared to wear the same outfit as the others, but he wore a blue suit, had black hair tied up with some bangs hanging, and wore glasses.

"There's no need to panic," the man said. "I promise we mean you no harm, but I must ask that you stay in there for a short while. It's the only way we can restrain you."

"And who the heck are you?!" demanded the blue cat.

"I am the captain of the new Magic Council's Fourth Custody Enforcement- Lahar," replied the man. "And this is my army."

Everyone eyes seemed to widen. Natsu and Gray especially appeared to be terrified.

"No way!" they gasped. "There's a new magic council?!"

"Sure didn't take them too long," gulped Lucy.

"It is my duty to uphold the law and preserve justice across the land," continued Lahar. "We especially will not tolerate evildoing of any kind and those who do that will be arrested."

"What do you mean by that?!" demanded Carla. "We haven't done anything wrong!"

"We're not here to arrest you," said Laral. "I've been ordered to take the Oración Seis into custody, so therefore I must ask that you cooperate and hand over the man code-named 'Hoteye' "

Everyone looked at Hoteye feeling worried.

Jura then stepped forward. "No! Please wait..!" he began hoping to try and reason with Lahar and his men.

"It's alright Jura my friend," interrupted Hoteye. "I'll surrender peacefully."

"But why Richard?!" asked Jura incredulously.

Hoteye then smiled sadly. "Even if I've turned to the side of virtue, then will still be some transgressions that will continue to haunt me," he said. "This is y chance to atone my sins. It's better this way. That way I can start with a clean slate and have nothing to hide for when I find my brother. Wouldn't you agree that would be a great thing for me to do?"

Jura stared at Hoteye, then he smiled. "Indeed," he said. "If that's the case, then allow me to search for your brother in your stead."

"You'd do that for me?!" gasped Hoteye happily.

"Yes. It would be my honor," replied Jura. "I just need his name."

"His name is Wally," said Hoteye. "Wally Buchanan."

The moment his name was heard, Gray, Lucy, Natsu, Happy, and even Erza gasped in shock.

"The blockhead?!" Natsu, Gray, Lucy, and Happy exclaimed.

"No way...he's your brother?" Erza murmured.

"Yes and I miss him dearly," said Hoteye smiling nostalgically. "In fact, he was the best little brother a guy could ask for. He and I would struggle daily just to get by after we lost our parents. We worked hard daily in the hopes of growing vegetables in our garden. Unfortunately, the harvest turned out to be less than we hoped, but there was one potato that survived. We cooked it and then we shared it with one another. I can still remember the taste of that potato even after all these years."

Erza then came up to Hoteye. "I know your brother, Richard," she said.

Jura and Hoteye immediately turned towards Erza in surprise as the red-head smiled.

"He's an old friend of mine," continued Erza. "He's happily traveling the content as we speak and doing exceptionally well."

Hoteye stared at Erza with wide eyes. Then his eyes began to overflow tears, but I could see that they were tears of pure joy. He collapsed to his knees and sobbed into his hands quietly.

"All these years... I kept praying... I kept telling myself that if I stayed positive... a miracle would happen," he wept. "And now... it has... Thank you... Thank you..."

I couldn't help, but feel happy for the man. It made feel happy that things were starting to look for him even though he was being arrested. After Hoteye calmed down, he was then cuffed in chains and led towards a carriage. We all watched him being led away feeling a bit sorry for the man.

"I feel kind of sorry for him," said Lucy.

"Well... it can't be helped," said Gray. "Not much we can do about it."

"Yes it was difficult, but I feel that he made the right decision," said Carla.

Then the red-headed man groaned again still pressed against the invisible wall.

"Come on! Let me out!" he begged. "If you don't undo this enchantment, I'm gonna wet myself!"

"Don't you dare!" yelled Lucy. "You're so disgusting!"

"Sorry, but I'm afraid we can't do that," said Lahar. "Not until we've captured our true objective. He was responsible for infiltrating the Magic Council, destroying it, and forcing them to fire the Etherion Cannon. A man far blacker of heart and even more villainous than the Oración Seis themselves." He then looked at the man in question. "I'm referring to you, Jellal Fernandes. Let's go. Please note that if you resist, we've been given orders to kill you. You're dangerous as along as you run free, therefore Jellal Fernandes, you're under arrest for crimes against the kingdom."

My eyes widened in shock not believing what I had just heard. It was hard to believe that Jellal was capable of doing such things. Me along everyone else could only watch as two officers came into the enchantment cuffing Jellal.

"Hold on a second!" cried Wendy. "Please don't take him away! He's doesn't even know what he's done! All of his memories have been completely erased!"

"Ignorance of one's crimes is no defense," said Lahar simply. "Penal Code Section 13 states this." He then turned to one of the soldiers. "You may lift the enchantment now."

"Yes sir!" acknowledged the soldier as he went to work.

"But...!" began Wendy still trying to reason with the man.

"It's all right. I won't try to resist arrest," said Jellal calmly to Wendy. "I'm really sorry that I failed to remember you. I wish I could, but I can't."

"When she was lost and all alone, she told me that you found her wandering and saved her life," said Carla.

"I see," said Jellal. "That makes me feel better to know that I at least was able to help one person even though I never will know the harm I've inflicted to countless people." He looked at Erza and smiled. "Erza, I also wanted to thank you and say that I will never forget your kindness."

Jellal was then escorted towards the carriage. As he was, he walked right by Lahar who didn't even look at the man.

"Do you have any parting words?" he asked coldly.

"No," replied Jellal.

"You'll get at least a life sentence if you're lucky," said Lahar. "but mostly likely, you'll be executed."

Everyone gasped at the word execution, including me, but Lahar took no notice.

"In any case, you'll never see any of these people again," said Lahar.

Wendy was now crying as tears streamed down her cheeks. I couldn't help, but feel a nasty feeling in my stomach. This wasn't right. Jellal was very kind to me when I first woke up and even helped us out destroying Nirvana. Now he was being taken away because of crimes he didn't remember? Before I knew it, I was overtaken by anger and I angrily stepped forward.

"Wait just a minute!" I yelled. "This isn't fair! Jellal doesn't even remember what crimes he's committed and you are arresting him anyway?! Not only that, but you dare say he's facing execution after all he did to help us?! Just what kind of justice is that?!"

Everyone looked at me in shock surprised at my outburst and Lahar looked back at me with a glare, but I glared right back at him not backing down.

"Like I told you," said Lahar. "It's under the Penial Code. Besides what would you know about justice works? You're just as guilty as he is Shark of the Oración Seis, or should I call you Willy Falconer?"

I then felt my blood instinctively run cold. "H-how do you know my name?!" I demanded.

"I've read all about you in a report," said Lahar. "You're the only survivor of a village close to the coastal region that was wiped out by an unknown attack. Then, we've heard reports that you were taken in by Brain and became his bodyguard. Therefore in light of this information, you must also be placed under arrest."

"Say what?!"

Then before I had a chance to react, two soldiers had appeared on either side of me and had cuffed my hands and began dragging me away. Then, I heard Natsu.

"Hold it right there!" he roared as he ran towards the knights. He tried to get to me and Jellal, but the soldiers immediately restrained him much to the shock of me, Jellal, and everyone else.

"Natsu?! What are you doing?!" cried Lucy. "These guys are with the council you know!"

"I don't care!" Natsu yelled as he desperately knocked down one soldier after another breaking himself free. "They're both a part of us and that means they come with us!"

"Subdue that man now!" ordered Lahar.

Some of the men from the army then came charging at Natsu. The fire dragon slayer not being the one to back down came at them, but then Gray joined the fray punching some of the soldiers to the ground.

"Natsu! Keep going! Get to Jellal and Willy!" he yelled. "This is a lot of crap anyway! Jellal and Willy helped us take down Nirvana and saved dozens of lives and this is the thanks you're giving them?! Bull!"

"That's a valid point!" agreed Jura who was now looking cross. "You would choose to punish these men for their misdeeds, but not choose to reward them for their good deeds? That is highly unjust!"

"It may pain me to say this, but I agree!" said the muscular red haired man. "If you take those two boys away, it will hurt Erza more!"

It had now turned into an all out slug-fest as all the others joined in the fight too, including Wendy. It made me feel stupefied as to why they were going so far just for us, especially since we hardly knew anything about them. Natsu continued to run straight towards us through the commotion. He was almost to us when he was restrained by two more soldiers.

"Listen you two," he yelled as he struggled to break free. "Jellal, you can't just leave Erza like this! You owe her big time! She needs you to stay by her side! She did it for you!" He then looked at me. "And Willy! You've got people that care about you waiting for you at home! You've been missing for six years and they've been waiting for you all this time to come back! You both have to stay! Cuz whether you like it or not, you're both one of us now!"

At this point, Lahar had enough. "Arrest them all!" he yelled. "Arrest them for aiding fugitives and obstruction of the law!"

Another wave of knights had charged in and one by one the wizards were either cornered or restrained. Feeling worried and not wanting Natsu and the others to go through any more trouble for me, I was about to scream for them to stop when suddenly...

"THAT'S ENOUGH! STOP THIS AT ONCE!"

Everyone immediately stopped at the sound of Erza's voice and looked at her. Erza then spoke lowly her face turned towards the ground.

"I apologize for this disturbance," she said. "I'm the one to blame and take full responsibility. Now please... take them away."

"But why?!" demanded Natsu.

"Yeah! We can't just let them get away with this, Erza!" added Gray. "Especially since that we found Willy!"

Erza then glared daggers at the two. "Sit down!" she ordered.

Natsu and Gray immediately sat down in a heartbeat. "Yes ma'am!" they squeaked.

Erza then looked at me. "Willy, I know that this might be a bit frightening for you, but I need you to go with them," she said. "Just stay calm and be brave OK?"

I was still feeling a little scared, but I nodded bravely. "Alright," I said. "I will."

Then me and Jellal were escorted towards the carriage. Then Jellal gasped.

"Wait... I remember something," he said. He then looked back at Erza and smiled. "It was the color of your hair."

Erza seemed to be shocked at Jellal's and I could have sworn that I could see tears beginning to form at the corners of her eyes, but then she quickly turned her head down looking away as Jellal stepped into the carriage. I was about to walk into the carriage myself, but then I saw Wendy. She was still sobbing as tears streamed down her face. I couldn't just leave her like that. I then looked back towards Lahar.

"Wait. Please Mr. Lahar, may I say a couple words to someone before you take me away?" I asked trying to sound as nice as could.

Lahar looked at me coldly, but he replied. "You may," he said. "Make it quick."

I then walked forward. "Wendy? Could you come over here please?"

Wendy sniffled still crying, but she came towards me until she was in front of me. I then got on one knee.

"Listen to me Wendy. I need you to be strong for me," I said gently. "And not just for me, Jellal too."

"But... you and Jellal are going away," sobbed Wendy. "And... and Jellal... and Jellal might be..."

I then gently wiped away Wendy's tears with a finger causing her to flinch a little.

"I know, but you still need to be strong," I said. "I know things look bad right now and I'm not sure why I'm saying this... but it's going to be OK. Me and Jellal will be fine. I promise. Until then, wait for us to come back OK?"

Wendy sniffed again and nodded. "OK. I will," she said.

I smiled as I straightened up. "Good girl." Then I turned look at Natsu and the others. "As for the rest of you guys, I may have lost my memory and have only just met you, but I'm grateful to have met you all. You all have very kind hearts and are good people. I only wish that I had my memory, so I know who you all are. Until then... I hope we all meet again someday and... thanks for everything."

I then turned my heel walking towards the carriage. I took one last look at Natsu and the others and then I walked into the carriage with Jellal as the doors shut behind me.

* * *

 _Willy and Jellal are taken into custody of the Magic Council!_

 _What's going to happen to the two?!_

 _Dragomaster out!_


	54. Chapter 54 Imprisoned

_In the last chapter, Willy was taken in custody of the magic council._

 _But what will happen to him? Find out... now!_

* * *

Chapter 54

Imprisoned

 **WILLY'S POV**

After the carriage doors shut, I sat down next to Jellal. Then we felt the carriage shudder and jolt and also heard the sound of clattering of wheels turning and the footsteps of the army meaning that the carriage that we were in was now on the move. I know that I told Wendy to be brave, but at this point I was beginning to feel a little scared. It made me wonder what Lahar had in store for us and was Jellal really going to be executed?

I stared at the floor my hands slightly trembling a little. Then I felt a hand being placed on top of on mine causing me to look up. The hand belonged to Richard who was smiling calmly at me.

"Fear not young lad," he said. "There's no need to be so afraid. It may look bad for now, but as long as we have love in our hearts, there's nothing we can't over come nor fear. Oh yeah!"

"Th-thank you, but... that's easier said than done," I replied. "I... I feel so afraid right now. I know I was just telling Wendy not to worry, but... I can't help but wonder what's going to happen to us? What if... what if we'll end up being... executed?"

"I doubt that would be the case," said Jellal. "Since you two were members of the Oración Seis, I doubt you two would face execution. If anything, I'm the one who's facing such a charge."

"But Jellal, surely they would go a little easier on you," I said. "I mean you helped us take down Nirvana."

"It doesn't matter," said Jellal solemnly. "I've done some terrible things and that still makes me guilty in the eyes of the law."

"It's still not fair," I protested. "You don't remember anything that you did in the past and they're just going to punish you anyway by execution?!"

"It may not be fair, but that's how it is," said Jellal. "If that's what must happen to me, then I have no choice but to accept it. No mater how I or anyone else thinks so."

I didn't say anything more, for I didn't what to say or what to think as the carriage continued on it's to our unknown destination.

* * *

 **NO POV**

Meanwhile in the ship belonging to Grimoire Heart, Ultear came up to Hades who was still sitting on his throne.

"Master Hades," said Ultear bowing respectively. "I'm so sorry to disturb you my lord, but I've just received word."

"What is it, Ultear?" asked Hades. "Is it as I expected?

"Yes it is indeed, master," replied Ultear. "The Oración Seis have fallen and Nirvana was destroyed by hands of Fairy Tail and the Allied Forces."

"I suppose those do-gooder are as capable as I anticipated," said Hades brushing his beard. "However, our objective still remains unhindered."

"I agree sir, the destruction of Nirvana was nothing more, but a ripple in the vast ocean of our scheme," spoke Ultear. "Obtaining the keys to Zeref's seal. However..."

"However what Ultear?" asked Hades raising a brow. "Do not try my patience."

Ultear now feeling uncertain continued. "I feel as if Nirvana's destruction may cause an even greater disturbance. A disturbance so great, that it will render our goals unreachable if left alone."

Hades chuckled. "Well this is interesting as is rare. This isn't like you, Ultear. You're not feeling uneasy are you?"

Ultear smiled. "Not at all. In fact, I'm looking forward to it. In fact, I have other news that might be of interest to you, Master Hades. Something having to do with Zeref"

"Speak," said Hades.

"I should warn you that this may be just a rumor, but I felt like that you should be the first to know," said Ultear. "There's a person in this world that has a powerful magic dwelling within. A magic that is similar to or rather just like Zeref's and and rumor has it, that this person might be a key to unsealing him, or least have some connections to him."

Hades now stared intently at Ultear his interest peaked. "Go on," he said a evil smile forming on his lips.

* * *

Meanwhile as for the Allied Forces, everyone was still feeling depressed after seeing Jellal and Willy being taken away by the Magic Council, but things would only get more depressing from there, especially for a certain dragon slayer. It started when the Allied Forces decided to stay with Cait Shelter for a bit to recover their strengths. After they fully recovered, Roubaul the master of Cait Shelter reveals two startling truths about Cait Shelter and Nirvana.

The first was that the members of the Cait Shelter guild weren't descendants of the Nirvits. They were in truth the actual Nirvits themselves. Around four hundred years ago, Roubaul himself created Nirvana in the hopes of getting rid of the darkness and stopping wars. It worked, but it ended up with a different result. It was true that Nirvana turned the darkness into the light, however the Nirvits themselves became steeped in the darkness that Nirvana took in order to maintain balance making the Nirvits fight and kill each other leaving Roubaul the only remaining survivor.

Speaking of Roubaul, he then revealed another startling truth. He himself was dead a long time ago and was nothing more, but a spirit watching and waiting for someone capable of destroying Nirvana while he remained alone. Then one day seven years ago, a young Jellal happened upon Roubaul carrying an unconscious and young Wendy and asked Roubaul to take care of her. Seeing a fierce determination in Jellal's eyes and not wanting to turn him away, Roubaul agreed and then created a powerful illusion Cait Shelter and all of its members so Wendy wouldn't be lonely meaning that all the people in Cait Shelter were nothing more but projections.

Wendy was shocked and deeply saddened as was Carla, but Roubaul consoled her by telling her that she no longer had any need of fake friends for she and Carla had found real ones. Then feeling happy that Nirvana was destroyed and having his burdens lifted, Roubaul fades from existence finally being able to rest in peace. Wendy was stricken with grief, but Erza comforts her by telling her to bury her sadness in the comfort of being with her friends and invites her to be a part of Fairy Tail. Afterwards, all the members of the Allied Forces returned to their respective guilds with Wendy and Carla being new additions to Fairy Tail.

When they got to the guild hall, they were immediately welcomed by all of the other members warmly. Erza then introduced the two newest members of the guild.

"A lot of has happened since we left, but long story short, Wendy and Carla are Fairy Tail's newest members," she said. "So make sure to treat them well."

"It's a pleasure to meet all of you," said Wendy politely bowing.

Everyone of the members went gaga over Wendy and Carla seeing from how cute she was. They were even more thrilled upon hearing that she was also a dragon slayer. The guild members immediately began throwing a welcome party for them. While everyone else was busy partying, Erza went to speak with Makarov.

"Hello Master," she said.

"Ah Erza. Good to see you and the others back and," said Makarov. "Thank you for bringing two precious and powerful members to the guild back with you and good work. Maybe now things will quiet down a bit now that the Oración Seis is out of the picture."

Erza frowned. "Actually Master... there's something that I need to talk to you about. Something important that I'd rather not discuss here."

Makarov was a bit surprised, but he agreed. Then he and Erza went to the upper floor of the guildhall, so they could be alone. After making sure that they were alone, Makarov spoke to Erza.

"What is it, Erza?" he asked. "What could be so important that you needed to speak with me alone?"

"Because I don't want people to hear me," said Erza. "It's about what happened during our battle with the Oración Seis. During that time, I encountered someone who I didn't expect to be with them. Someone... that I thought that was long gone and never to be seen again."

"And who was that?" asked Makarov.

Erza paused impressively and dramatically. Then she took a deep breath and spoke in a low spoke, so that only Makarov would hear her.

"Willy Falconer."

Makarov eyes wide with shock and he stared at Erza. "...what?!"

"Yes. I found out when I was fighting one of their members," explained Erza. "One of their members Shark intervened in the battle and it turned out, Shark's true identity was... Willy Falconer."

Makarov was even more shocked than before and even slightly angry. "Willy was with the Oración Seis!? But why?! Has he become an enemy?!"

"No master! It's not his fault," said Erza hastily. "The Oración Seis were controlling him with a spell forcing him to do whatever they wanted. Luckily, the spell that was controlling him has been lifted and he was able to return to normal... but..."

"Go on, Erza," urged Makarov.

Erza sighed. "He's lost his memories most likely due to being under the spell," she continued. "The only thing he remembers is how to use his spel he was taught. He doesn't remember anything or anyone."

"I see," said Makarov. "At least we now know that Willy's alive and well. Speaking of which, where is he now?"

"I'm afraid the Magic Council has taken him into custody," said Erza solemnly. "Most likely, Willy is being sent to a branch of the council as we speak."

"Damn it," cursed Makarov. "Those blowhards from the Council always were a pain in my backside. Makes me remember the time you were taken in custody, Erza," He sat there stroking his beard in thought. "Does anyone else know about this?"

"No. The only ones who know about him are all the members of the Allied Forces," said Erza. "Including me, Natsu, Gray, Lucy, Wendy, Happy and Carla. Do you have something in mind?"

"Yes. I do," said Makarov. "First things first, you must not tell anyone about this. Especially Elfman and Mirajane."

"But is that wise Master?" asked Erza worriedly. "Mirajane and Elfman have been looking for Willy ever since they found out he disappeared. They have a right to know about this."

"I understand that, but we can't tell them. Not just yet," said Makarov gravely. "If anyone in the guild found out about, it would cause a huge ruckus. Mirajane and Elfman especially would be worried. In fact, I want you to tell Natsu and the others not to tell anyone either. The last thing that I want is a repeat of what happened when you were taken into custody. Is that understood?"

Erza was a bit reluctant, but she nodded. "Of course Master," she said. "If that's what you wish, but... is there anything that we can do to help Willy?"

"To be perfectly honest with you, I'm not sure, Erza," said Makarov. "I can safely say that it doesn't look good for him. However, I think I know someone that might be able to help him."

Erza wasn't sure who Makarov meant, but then she realized. "Wait... do you mean..."

"Yes. And I can say for a fact that this person is not going to stand idly by. Especially since Willy is alive. Which is why I must send a message right away," said Makarov as he walked away from Erza. "In the meantime, I want you to tell Natsu and the others what I told you tomorrow morning. If they choose to say otherwise, refer them to me."

"Understood Master," said Erza.

* * *

 **WILLY'S POV**

I don't know how long we've been moving, but I would have to assume that it had been a long time. Needless to say, that the whole trip has been rather"uncomfortable. My legs felt a little numb and tired due to sitting for so long, I felt tired, hungry, and most of all very thirsty. It had been a while since I had a drink of water or anything to drink for that matter. It made me wonder how long it had been since we left Natsu and the others.

"A cup of water would really sound pretty good right about now," I thought to myself. "My throat's feeling kinda dry and I really would like to get out of this carriage now."

I would soon get my wish for right then with a jolt the sounds of carriage wheels turning stopped causing me, Jellal, and Richard to look up.

"It seems that we stopped," said Richard.

Then the carriage doors opened and we were greeted by Lahar's scowling face.

"Come on you three, out," he ordered.

Having no other option, the three of us stepped out of the carriage. As I stepped outside, my vision had some trouble adjusting to the sunlight due to being in the carriage, but it managed to fix itself. When I was able to see, a startling sight might my eyes. Before us was a large building. It was pretty large in appearance, it seemed to be sitting in the middle of a lake. The lower part had several strange brown pipes protruding from the lake and holding up the larger part of the building which was a large green prism with two large purple rings with a large red sphere all seeming to be made out of glass and crystal. The landscape of the area seemed to be very rocky and surrounded be mountains.

As soon as we were out of the carriage, we were then restrained by strange creatures that looked just like humanoid frogs and were taken towards the building. As we grew closer and closer to it, I began to grow more scared and nervous.

"Wh-where are we?" I wondered aloud.

"If I had to make a guess, that must be a branch of the Magic Council," said Richard. "Although I don't know where in Fiore this branch is."

"How observant of you, Hoteye," said Lahar. "This is one of the many branches of the Magic Coucil and this is where you three will be staying where you'll be put on trial for your crimes."

The frog people pairing in twos, lead us toward the building until we were inside by using a path that led across the lake towards the building. Once we were inside, we stood on a strange platform in the shape of a magic circle. Once we stepped on it, we were immediately teleported to a big and spacious room with various blue rectangular glass prisms with pyramids on the ends floating around. In those prisms were various men and women, all looking miserable or not having a care in the world. They had to have been the different criminals locked up in here. There was also more various frog beings floating on strange platforms wielding staffs.

"These will be where you're new homes for now on," said Lahar. "Please enjoy your stay."

One of the prisms floated down towards us and opened up. Then the frogs escorting Richard walked to it, undid his handcuffs, and then pushed him inside of the prism causing him to stumble a bit, but he managed to say upright. He then looked back me and Jellal.

"Well my friends, this might be the last time we see each other face to face like this, but don't lose hope," he said smiling. "For as long as you need love, here's nothing you can't overcome. Oh yeah!"

The opening of Richard's prism closed and began to float up to the air. Another prism then came down and the two frogs who were escorting Jellal undid his handcuffs and pushed into the prism making him fall to it.

"Hey! There's no need to be rough!" I complained.

"Oh shut your mouth," said one of the frog beings. "When it comes to criminals like you, we can be as rough as we want."

"It's alright Willy," said Jellal as he got to his feet. "I'm fine. There's no need to be concerned. Well then, I guess this is where we part ways for now. I don't know if I'll ever see you again, but I pray that you be safe and regain your memories, Willy. Be strong."

The opening to Jellal's prism then closed and then it floated away to another part of the room. The third and last prism then came down and then opened and the two frogs escorting me then unshackled my handcuffs pushed me into the prism as the opening shut behind me.

"And by the way, your magic will be rendered useless as long as you're in there," said Lahar. "So don't try to do anything stupid."

The prism with me inside then floated upwards until I was high above the room almost touching the ceiling. If I didn't have vertigo, I would have gotten a little sick from how high I was. In fact... now that I thought about it, I felt a little sick as the prison went up, but that quickly disappeared when it stopped. Having to have nothing else better to do, I sat down on the bottom of my prison and hugged my legs putting my head in between them.

As I sat there, my heart was beating like I just ran a mile and I felt scared once again. It made me have a strange feeling. A strange feeling that I've experienced something like this before. I didn't have any idea why I was feeling like this, but one thing was for sure; I didn't like it.

* * *

 **NO POV**

The next day after having a huge welcome party, Erza saw Team Natsu as well as Happy and Carla and told them what Makarov wanted them to do. Naturally they were less than happy.

"You're kidding me! He wants us to keep quiet about Willy being with the Magic Council?!" demanded Natsu.

"That's right," said Erza nodding. "No one in the guild can know about this. Not even Mira and Elfman."

"But... doesn't Mira have a right to know if Willy's safe?!" asked Lucy. "I mean you said she and Elfman were looking and waiting for him for six years!"

"I'm well aware, but the Master doesn't want the guild to worry," said Erza. "Not to mention he doesn't want a repeat of what happened when I was taken by the council." She then looked at Natsu narrowing her eyes. "Right Natsu?"

Natsu gulped and looked away scratching his cheek. "Oh yeah... I forgot about that..." he said sheepishly.

"What is Erza talking about?" Wendy asked Lucy.

"Oh yeah. You weren't around when it happened," said Lucy. "She's talking about the time that she was arrested by the council awhile back when we saved the Guild Master's League from Einsenwald. They were planning on using the Lullaby flute to kill them, but luckily we were able to stop them. However, the Magic Council ended up filing charges against her for property damage."

"Those charges were nothing more, but a farce Lucy," said Erza. "The Magic Council was only giving a show to the public to let them know that if anyone breaks the law, they'll be punished. It would have gone lot smoother, but..." She glared at Natsu. "Natsu here decided to show up and break into the courtroom and go on a rampage pretending to me. Because of that, I had to sit in a jail cell!"

Natsu bowed to Erza now sweating buckets. "I'm sorry OK?! I already apologized to you over and over again!"

"Honestly," sighed Carla. "This is the boy who defeated Zero? I'm starting to wonder an idiot like him ever managed to accomplish such a task."

"Now, now Carla. Don't be mean," chided Wendy.

"In any case, whether we like it or not, we can't tell anyone about Willy," said Erza. "So I want you all to keep quiet about him. Is that understood?"

Everyone nodded their heads in agreement.

"But Erza, just one question," said Gray. "I know what we have to do, but what about Willy? What's Gramps gonna do about him?"

"Master Makarov has contacted someone," said Erza. "Someone that he thinks will no doubt come to Willy's aid."

"Did he tell you who it is?" asked Lucy.

"No, but I know exactly who it is," said Erza. "It's someone who was close with Willy along with the Strauss siblings back when they were kids. This someone also taught Willy everything when it comes to fighting and using his magic. I also met this person once, but that was a couple years ago."

"But... who are you talking about Erza?" asked Gray. "Stop keeping us in the dark and tell us already."

* * *

Meanwhile just outside of the branch, two mysterious people wearing black cloaks hiding their faces and clothes were walking into town heading towards the branch. One of them was a tall and the other was rather short.

The tall one let out a sigh. "Thank goodness, we managed to get here with no trouble, Master," the tall one said in a male voice. "Although, it would have been faster if we had flown."

"Oh come now, there's no sense in exhausting our magic for trivial things," said the short one who spoke in a female elderly voice. "Besides, you could use the exercise."

"I think I've had my fair share of exercise from training with you, Master," chuckled the short one. He then looked towards the building. "So that's one of the branches of the Magic Council huh? Looks a bit stranger than I expected."

"Yes. I must admit that it looks a bit... superfluous, but our opinions don't really matter, do they?" chuckled the short one.

The tall one chuckled and looked up at the building again. His tone then became serious. "Master, is that really where he is? Is he really there?"

"According to what my friend Makarov said, yes he is," said the short one. "Plus, I can feel it. It's faint and suppressed, but I can feel his magic power coming from that palace up there."

"So... he is alive," said the tall one. "I'm glad... It's been so long since I've seen him."

"I know," said the short one. "We've haven't seen him for a long time and now we're going to see him again after all these years. I only wish it wasn't under these circumstances."

The tall one then turned to the short one. "Master, are you sure we'll be able to help him?" he asked. "If what Makarov said was true, then he'll have no idea who we are nor if we're friend or foe."

"Fear not my boy," said the short one as she started walking ahead of him. "We will help him. We will restore his memory, clear his name, and then get him out of this place. After all, he is my precious student and I'll be damned if I'm gonna let the Magic Council imprison him when he's innocent. Plus, I've been meaning to see a certain someone."

"Who is this someone, Master?" asked the tall man as he followed.

"I'll tell you later," said the short one. "For now, let's get inside."

"Yes Master," said the tall one.

Then the two cloaked figures headed towards the branch with the goal of fulfilling their mission.

* * *

 _Now from here on in, it's going to be an original idea!_

 _But will Willy be able to get out of prison?! And who are these two mysterious figures?!_

 _Stay tuned! Until then..._

 _Dragoman out!_


	55. Chapter 55 A Fair Trial

_Here's the next chapter guys! I'm so sorry for taking so long with this! I had a case of writer's block and I've been sick._

 _I'm only human._

 _By the way in other news, Willy finally has an image!  
_

 _If you want to see him, feel free to check in out at The Leviathan of Fairy Tail Wiki!_

 _Until then, Enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter 55

A Fair Trial

For the next hours or so, I sat in my prison with only Hoteye, Jellal, some of the frog people that worked for the council, and the other prisoners for company. It felt lonely and even somewhat scary. I always heard about how certain people would end up going to jail for their misdeeds back when I was little, but I never imagined that I would suffer that fate. This much I knew, sitting in a prison like this had to have been the most boring thing in the world. Having nothing else better to do and since I wasn't going anywhere, I lied on the floor of my prison and tried to sleep.

As I lied there, I couldn't help, but wonder how exactly did I end up here. I remember being told by Erza that I was one of the members of the Oración Seis due to being kidnapped by them as a child, but I couldn't remember how I ended up with such terrible people in the first. It made me wish that I had my memory back. At least that way I could claim my innocence.

As I continued to lie there, I slowly closed my eyes and tried to get some sleep. I didn't know how long I was asleep, but I think it was safe to say that it must have been a while. I slowly opened my eyes and hoping everything was a dream, but sadly it wasn't. I didn't know how long I was asleep, but I'm guessing that it was the next day.

As I slowly sat up, I noticed one of the frog people floating by. His skin was a light indigo color with dark blue stripes, and he had a look on his face that he didn't want to be here right now. He appeared to be floating to one of the prisms containing one of the prisoners. Feeling a bit curious, I kept an eye on the creature wondering what he was up to. The prism slowly lowered to the ground as the frog person touched down on the ground as well.

"Hey you!" he barked. "It's time for you to be arraigned! So get up!"

The prism opened and I could see someone step out from the prison and instantly hand-cuffed and was let away out of the room.

"Arraigned?" I wondered to myself. "I wonder what that could mean?"

"Oh. You don't know?" asked a voice. "Then again this would appear to be your first time here."

The voice caused me to jump a little making me turn to my right. I could see a frog person floating beside me. He had light green skin and was a tad stout. I was a little startled by seeing this creature, but he appeared to have a kind and respectful atmosphere around him.

"Don't be scared," he said. "I just wanted to answer your question."

"OK... " I said. "What... does it mean when someone is going to be arraigned?"

"It's pretty basic knowledge," said the frog person. "You're basically going to be brought before the Magic Council to answer for the charges against you in court. You'll either plead guilty or not guilty and then

Then I noticed another prism floating by me being led by another frog person. As it went by, I happened to notice who was inside. It was none other than Richard. I immediately watched his prism until I saw it touch down on the floor. Richard was then led out and then cuffed and then led out of the room. As he walked out I could see him looking up appearing to have his eyes on me. Then he was led out of the room.

It would seem that he too was going to be arraigned. It made me wonder if me and Jellal would suffer the same fate. Especially for Jellal, considering that Lahar guy mentioned that he would mostly likely get executed.

The purple frog person then came over us. "Hey! Stop talking to that criminal Serena!" he said. "Need I remind you that he's a member of the Oración Seis?!"

"Oops. Sorry there Nadal," apologized the green frog person. "He was just wondering about being arraigned means, so I figured I'd explain it to him."

"You always were too soft, you idiot," scoffed Nadal. Then he glared at me. "And as for you..." He poked his staff through my prism and pointed it at me. It began to spark with some kind of purple electricity making me cringe in fear. "I'd better watch myself if I was you," continued Nadal. "If you try anything funny, you're gonna be in for a world of hurt! Got it?"

I gulped and didn't say anything more. Then I felt my prism being lowered towards the ground meaning that it was my turn to be arraigned. I then got on my feet just as my prism opened. There standing there were two guards holding staffs and another man I haven't seen before. He wore the exact same outfit that Lahar fellow wore, but he had short almost shaved hair and had a three strange scars on the left side of his face. He also seemed to be a lot more intimidating than Lahar was.

"Come on you," said the man. "You're up next."

I did what he said and stepped out from my prism. I was then cuffed by the two frog people and I was then escorted down the halls. As we walked down the halls with the scarred man leading, we passed by various other frog people and some criminals. Some of the criminals looked at me and glared as if they didn't like the look of me. I immediately looked down to the floor not wanting to meet their gaze.

We soon came to another room. It was pretty big and spacious and in the middle of the room was a large and grandiose desk of sorts with a platform surround by railing with only the back of it open in front of it. The desk itself looked fancy when it came to appearance, and it had three levels. The first level had a desk where two frog people, the second had about seven seats with six men and a woman sitting in them, and the third had a seat with an old man sitting there. He had a a standard wizard's hat, looked very fit, wore iron clad armor, and had a long gray beard.

"These people must be the Magic Council that Serena guy was talking about," I thought to myself. "They certainly do look the part. And that man up there must the leader."

The frog that was standing on the first level then cleared its throat.

"This court will now come to order!" it said. "Docket ending 2006. Before us is the defendant, Willy Falconer aka Shark of the Oración Seis." It then looked at me. "Please take the stand Mr. Falconer."

I gulped as I did as I was instructed. I stepped up to the platform and the two guards stood on either side of me making sure they stood guard over me. The old man with the staff then looked down at me. His eyes were piercing and seemed to see right through me. If I wasn't nervous before, I sure was now.

"Willy Falconer," said the old man. "You stand before the Magic Council to answer charges stemming from the Nirvana incident involving one of the three major guilds in the Balem Alliance known as the Oración Seis and for the destruction of the village known as Nomekop. The charges include high treason and mas manslaughter. Do you deny it?"

My eyes widened a bit at this. "Wait...what do you mean by that?" I asked. "I don't remember that-"

"Do you or do you not deny it?" interrupted the old man.

"Of course I deny it!" I said. "I don't remember any of that!"

Then one of the men of the second level looked down at me. He has a bit middle-aged, had brown puffy hair, wore and eye patch and had a face that kind of reminded me of a dog. He even had the long sharp canine teeth to show for it.

"You don't remember? Or are you feigning ignorance?" he asked snootily. "Because we all know that you're guilty of the crime."

Then another man spoke. He had tall white hair that was rectangular like, was skinny, a bit old, and had a fat nose. "According to eye witness reports, you were seen with the Oración Seis and you were also a member of their ranks."

"But... you don't understand," I protested. "I wasn't aware of my actions at the time. I don't even remember that-"

"Enough of your excuses," interrupted the dog man. "You can deny it all you want, but we know you're guilty! And you need to be punished!"

"Order!" boomed the old man.

Everyone in the room went silent including me. The old man then resumed.

"As I was saying, you seem to deny your crimes by saying you don't remember what you did," he said. "I'm very sure you must have been told to stick to that story by Brain, but since you have no witness to claim your story-"

Then suddenly then doors behind me suddenly opened with a resounding boom. The old man along with the rest of the council members and me looked back to see that two people had entered the room. Both of them were wearing strange black cloaks, one being tall and the other being short.

The dog man glared. "Who dares to barge in here?!"

Then the short one stepped forwards and took off the hood of the cloak revealing her face to be an elderly old woman. She had some wrinkles on her face, had gray hair tied in a bun, and brown amber eyes.

As soon as I saw her, I felt a strange feeling go through my body. For some reason, she felt familiar like I've seen her before, but I couldn't remember where.

As soon as the old man saw the woman's face, his eyes narrowed. "And what is a Ten Wizard Saint like you doing here, Tu-Chi?" he demanded.

Tu-Chi smiled. "Forgive me for barging in Gran Doma," she said. "But I just couldn't help, but poke my nose in. After all, that is my student you're trying after all."

"Your student? Are you meaning to tell us that you know this boy?" asked the woman of the council. She was a bit younger than Tu-Chi, wore a lavender dress, and had brown hair in a bun with bangs hanging on the side of her face.

"Yes. I do," said Tu-Chi. "And in addition with the court's indulgence, I arise to be this boy's defense and his witness."

"You must be joking," said another council member who was a young man with short white hair, a small brown beard, and appeared to wear strange brown clothes with a white cape with blue designs. "What makes you think you can barge in a trial and say such things?"

"That's right. Not to mention that you never witnessed the events that transpired during the incident," said another councilman who was a short old man who had long gray hair that pointed upwards with two long bangs and had a black headband that obscured his eyes. "And you can't produce a witness to the event either. So unless you've come here to waste time..."

"Oh, nothing of the sort," said Tu-Chi. "I came here just to help my student. Not to mention that there's a slight something you may have overlooked. According to the law, the accused has a right to have a fair trial or in this case a chance to prove innocence. And I intend to prove that my student is innocent."

Gran Doma raised a brow. "And how do you intend to do that without any proof?"

Tu-Chi looked at Gran Doma. "I do have proof," she said. "However, the proof isn't something I can obtain easily. The proof has been buried for the past six years and it may require a bit of digging to obtain it."

"And where is this proof?" asked the dog man suspiciously. "And how will you obtain it?"

Tu-Chi then looked at me. "It's inside of him," she said pointing. "The proof lies in the mind that was once Willy Falconer's. If you will allow me to, I know a spell and a place that can restore Willy's memories and prove his innocence of this crime, if you will allow me to Gran Doma. You as well as the council can even come with me to the location and see it for yourselves."

The Magic Council members on the second level looked at each other a bit surprised and murmured to each other. While I stared at this Tu-Chi woman in shock and disbelief. She was practically saying that she knew how to restore my memory to clear my name. It sounded too good to be true, but this point I couldn't help but be hopeful.

Gran Doma stared at the woman seeming to be deep in thought.

"Gran Doma! Seriously! This has to be some kind of set-up!" barked the dog man. "That old woman is going to take advantage by rewriting his mind!"

"I agree," said the caped council member. "She could try to fabricate the story to make this boy seem innocent."

Tu-Chi looked at the dog man her face remaining neutral. "I wouldn't be so worried about that," she said. "After all, I wouldn't want a paranoid old man like Akzuinu going rabid barking about like the old dog he his anyway."

The dog man who was revealed to be Akzuinu stood up red in the face and looked very cross. "What did you just say about me?!" he growled angrily. "I'm not a dog, you senile old-"

"Enough!" boomed Gran Doma. "I will have order in this court!"

He looked at Akzuinu and gave him a disapproving glare and the dog man looked away his face flushed with embarrassment. Gran Doma then looked back at Tu-Chi.

"Where is this location?" he asked.

"A location hidden in secret," said Tu-Chi. "Only certain people are allowed to this location because it is sacred, but in this case, I'm willing to make an exception for my student and for you and the council Gran Doma if you'll allow this."

Gran Doma then hummed thoughtfully as he pondered. Then he made a decision.

"As much as I disapprove of this, Tu-Chi's right on the money when it comes to the law," he said. "Therefore, I will allow this and I'll give you one day to prepare, but I would strongly advice you to watch yourself Wizard Saint. Otherwise, I will find you in contempt. Is that understood?"

Tu-Chi nodded in response.

"Until then, we'll put the trial on hold for now and as for Willy Falconer, he is remanded until further notice," continued Gran Doma. "Guards. Lahar. Take the defendant back into custody."

And with a bang of his gavel, the two guards led me down from the stand and then started to lead me out of the room along with Lahar. As I walked by Tu-Chi and her accomplice, I happened to look at her. She looked back at me and then smiled gently not saying a word. For some reason, it made me feel somewhat at ease even though I couldn't recall knowing her. I also looked at her accomplice who was standing silently behind her not saying a word either. I couldn't really tell who the face was under the hood of the cloak, but I could tell that it was a man underneath it. The man under the hood looked at me as I walked by then I looked away as I was led out of the room.

The two guards and Lahar led me down the halls once again as we headed back towards the rooms with the floating prism prisons. As we continued walking, there was two more guards along with someone else who appeared to have the same attire as Lahar escorting another man who was cuffed.

The man that was leading the prisoner was fair skinned had short black hair in a buzz and had strange scars on the left side of his face. He also had deep turquoise eyes that seemed to be focused and stern.

I also happened to take a look at the prisoner that he and the two guards were escorting. He was a pretty tall man and had dark skin. He also had silver white hair that went to his shoulders and he wore an outfit that appeared to be some kind of military officer's outfit that was in tatters.

Whoever this man was, he gave me the creeps.

Then the man looked at me as I walked past him. The moment we made eye contact, I felt a sudden chill go through my spine. This man... He was filled with some kind of unknown malice and evil. I could feel it in my gut. The man stared at me and then his eyes seemed to flare with anger and then he walked on. I couldn't help, but look back at the man as he was lead further and further away from me until he was out of sight.

"Who was that man?" I wondered to myself. "And... what... what was that feeling just now...?

* * *

Meanwhile back out of the branch, Tu-Chi and her accomplice where walking just outside of the courtroom. The accomplice finally took off his hood revealing his face. His hair was still orange after the past six years, but there were a couple gray hairs here and there.

"I can't believe they're letting you go through with this," the accomplice said. "Especially strict the new council is."

"I understand what you mean," said Tu-Chi. "I'm even surprised myself, especially since how the council has gotten a lot more strict since it reformed. From what I heard, Jellal and Ultear have done a major number of the council and the new council isn't planning on taking any chances. Well... not everyone for that matter."

"What do you mean by that Master?" asked Finn.

"There's one member of the council who has been a member of the previous council and he still is willing to give a person the benefit of doubt," said Tu-Chi. "And he just so happens to be a good friend of mine."

"Who is that?"

He found that out soon enough. For right then, someone came up to the two. He had gone through a couple of changes over the course of the six years, but he'd hardly changed. His beard was a tad longer than before, his scalp was showing signs of aging, and he now wore a bat-shaped ornament on top of his head.

"I believe that she would be talking about me," said the old man.

"Ah. Org. It's been a long time old friend," greeted Tu-Chi. "Good to see you."

"Likewise," said Org. "Although I would have preferred not to see you under these circumstances."

"Finn. I believe you know Master Org?" said Tu-Chi. "He was the member of the council and friend I was referring to."

"Oh yes. I do," said Finn as he slightly bowed. "It's a pleasure to see you, Master Org."

"You're Finn if I'm not mistaken," said Org smiling gently. "It's good to see you again too."

"So what brings you here Org?" asked Tu-Chi. "Surely you didn't come here just to say hello."

Org then looked at Tu-Chi, his smile now turned into a frown. "I... was just coming here to confirm something," he said. "About the boy."

"Are you worried about him Org?" asked Tu-Chi teasingly. "Surely someone like you shouldn't be worried about a civilian."

Org blushed a little and cleared his throat. "N-no. Nothing of the sort. The reason I'm asking is because I have an obligation to fulfill. Nothing more and nothing less."

Tu-Chi chuckled. "You always were the type to hide his feelings."

Finn felt puzzled then he suddenly understood. "Oh yes. This is about you-know-who," he said solemnly.

Org and Tu-Chi's faces now looked solemn as well.

"Yes. It's regarding the boy's mother," said Org. "I can still remember way back when even after the past six years."

* * *

 _"Ma'am. Can you hear me?" asked Org as he stood before a woman's side._

 _"Please... please help me..." the woman said weakly._

 _"Don't try to talk. Save your strength," said Org gently. "The medical team is on the way. You're going to be fine."_

 _The woman looked at Org and weakly shook her head._

 _"No... It's too late... I already know I'm done for," she said weakly. "Listen, I need... you to help me... You need... to find my son... he's... all alone... Please... find him... and protect him..."_

 _Org stared at the woman, then he nodded._

 _"Very well. As a member of the magic council, I won't rest till I find your son."_

 _The woman smiled as tears began streaming her pale cheeks._ _"Thank you... thank you... and... when you find him... please tell him... that his mother... will always...love him..." she wept._

 _After that, the hand that Org was holding went limp and the woman's blue eyes slowly closed for the final time. She was gone._

* * *

"I still can't believe you were there in Willy's hometown before it was destroyed," said Finn.

"I know. I still wish that I could have been there sooner," said Org. "I could have saved her... but in the end..."

"Now, now Org. There's no need to blame yourself," soothed Tu-Chi. "As a wise person once said: we all have things we regret, things we wish we could change, but we can't dwell on them. That's a part of being human."

"You speak a wisdom well suited for your years Tu-Chi," said Org. "I appreciate that. However... that doesn't change the fact that things don't look good for the boy. Especially under these circumstances."

"Yes. Willy doesn't have a clue who he is nor does he know how he ended up in this mess," said Finn. "Master, do you really know how to restore his memory?"

"Yes. I do," said Tu-Chi. "I know of a spell that can help restore his memory, but I can only do the spell in a certain location."

"If you don't mind me asking, where is this location?" asked Org.

"I'm afraid I can't say," said Tu-Chi. "The only thing I can tell you is to not worry about the details. Just make sure you bring Willy and make sure he's safe Org. Can you do that for me?"

"Consider it done," said Org doubtfully. "Until then... I bid you farewell."

And with that Org left leaving Tu-Chi and Finn alone. The two then left the building of the branch back outside. As they walked, Finn couldn't help, but look rather worried.

"Master, are you sure about revealing that place to the council?" he asked. "You said it yourself, it is considered to be sacred ground."

"Yes, but I'm willing to do what I must in order to help Willy," said Tu-Chi. "I'm not too thrilled, but it is the only way to help him. Until then, we must get ready Finn. Be prepared for anything that might happen. Is that understood?"

"Yes Master," said Finn.

And with that, Finn and Tu-Chi took off into the air spreading their water wings and disappearing into the sky.

* * *

Inside of the branch, Akzuinu was inside still fuming.

"How dare she?!" he growled to himself. "That woman has no right to speak to a member of the council in such a manner! And I know that boy is guilty! He's just feigning ignorance! I just need to get the truth out of him and I know just the way to do that!"

He then walked out of the courtroom and looked around looking for someone. Then he soon found the person he was looking for. It was the man with the three scars on his face. He briskly walked up to the person.

"Doranbolt. I want to have a word with you," he barked.

Doranbolt then turned around. "Master Akzuinu. How may I help you?" he asked.

Akzuinu looked around making sure that no one was around to hear them. Then he spoke in a low voice.

"I have a job for you to do," he said. "It's a job that only you can accomplish regarding a certain member of the Oración Seis."

* * *

 _Now this hasn't been my best chapters, but I'm trying to make it as simple yet special as I can._

 _Anyhoo, stay tuned for more chapters!_

 _Dragoman out!_


	56. Chapter 56 Interrogation

_Alright you guys! First and foremost, I'm sorry that I haven't been uploading lately.  
_

 _I've had some family issues and other things regarding moving, but I'm back! And I intend to resume writing!_

 _I know some of you are getting impatient with me, but hang in there._

 _Anyway, here's the next chapter! Enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter 56

Interrogation

I was sleeping on the floor of my prison. It was a bit hard and uncomfortable, but I didn't mind. As long as I got plenty of sleep, there was nothing I couldn't be bothered with. All that mattered to me was getting some sleep.

However, I would soon be in for a rude awakening. As I was sleeping peacefully, I heard a banging and someone yelling.

"Hey you! Wake up!" the voice snapped. "Nap time is over!"

I immediately sat up with a start now fully awake. I then saw who was the reason from my abrupt awakening. There floating just outside of my prison was none other than Nadal. He was as cranky and rude as he always was. In fact, I felt the only reason why Nadal was acting the way he was, was probably just how he loves picking on me and the prisoners. To him, we were nothing more, but animals in cages, playthings to mess with at his own leisure.

A couple of days had passed since that day when I appeared in court. Those days alone made me wish that I wouldn't have to put up with Nadal's bullying. Sadly, I could use my magic due to being stuck inside my prism.

However, I couldn't really worry about that right now. I was still thinking about what happened the other day when that woman Tu-Chi and her subordinate came into the courtroom. The biggest question that I kept asking myself was that could it be true? Could she really restore my memory? Could she help me remember who I really was?

At this point, I was willing to try anything to remember who I was. Especially since I had so many people that knew me and were waiting for me to come back home. I could still remember the promise I made to Wendy, Natsu, and the others. I told them I was gonna be OK and that was how I'm going to be. I just had to hang in there until my name was cleared and my memories were restored. Till then, I had to wait.

I sat in my prison not really having anything to do. I was thinking of sleeping to pass the time, but I was wide awake and didn't really feel sleepy no thanks to Nadal. I wasn't able to eat or drink either and I was feeling hungry and very thirsty. I wouldn't be too surprised if I was suffering from malnutrition and dehydration. I could even feel my stomach in slight pain growling and complaining. All I could do was rub it hoping that it would calm down.

Then I heard my prison open up which made me draw my attention towards the opening. There standing in front of me was Nadal. He was wearing the usual condescending scowl on his face as he glared at me.

"Hey you. Get up," he growled. "Doranbolt wants to take you for questioning."

I didn't know what he meant by questioning, but I knew that it probably wasn't gonna be good for me. Having no other choice, I stepped out of my prism and was once again lead down to the bottom of the floor where I was once again cuffed and led down the halls by two frog guards. As I walked, I kept my eyes low not daring to make eye contact with anyone who was passing by. I was expecting to be lead to the courtroom once again, but I was wrong. Instead, I was lead to a different part of the of the building.

We soon approached to a room with someone standing in front of the door. Upon looking up, I could see that it was the man with the three scars on his face along with Lahar. I would have to assume that this man was this Doranbolt that Nadal was talking about. And considering the fact that both he and Lahar were both there in front of me, I knew that I was going to go through a lot of trouble. We soon stopped in front of them and then Lahar opened the door.

"Please step through here," he said.

Not really having much of a choice, I did as Lahar asked and walked inside. Inside of the room, it seemed to be simple and there was nothing, but a small table and two chairs. I stepped inside and Lahar and Doranbolt followed closing the door behind them. Then Lahar pulled out the chair.

"Sit down," he said.

I did so and Lahar sat in front of me while Doranbolt remained standing. There was a long silence with Doranbolt pacing behind me and Lahar sitting there in silence. Then Lahar finally spoke.

"So... Willy Falconer aka Shark of Oración Seis," he began. "You claim to have no memory of ever working with Brain and you didn't have anything to do with the destruction with Nomekop. Is that right?"

"Yes. I did," I replied. "I know that it sounds hard to believe, but it's true."

"You're right. It is hard to believe," said Doranbolt. "In fact, we get the feeling that you're just playing dumb."

"But I'm not playing dumb," I protested. "I really don't remember-"

"You were there at the scene of the crime back when Nirvana was destroyed and we have reports of you being at Nomekop six years ago," interrupted Lahar. "We also know that you've been working with Brain for at least six years."

"Like I'm trying to tell you," I said. "I don't remember. All I know is that I've been told that I was being controlled and-"

"Being controlled? As in someone was controlling you like a puppet?" asked Doranbolt. "A very likely story."

"It's true! I'm telling you-"

"Yeah, yeah. You're telling the truth and we should believe you," scoffed Doranbolt. "Trust me. We've heard that old line, so many times, that it's getting old."

"But it's true! I am telling you the truth!" I said. "I don't remember anything and I don't know what you're talking about! And for that matter, I've never killed anyone either!"

"So you claim," said Lahar. "But you said yourself that you don't remember anything correct? So therefore, you're not even sure yourself if you had committed these crimes or hurt anyone or not. Isn't that right?"

"That's..."

I couldn't really say anything else because Lahar had a pretty good point. I really didn't know what I did due to my memory, but that didn't mean that it was possible that I had done anything.

Doranbolt then spoke getting a bit close to me. "You're wasting yours and our time continuing to deny it," he said. "You're the only one who knows anything about Brain and the Oración Seis and what they were after, so confess to your crimes or things are gonna start to get unpleasant."

"But I'm telling you, I don't know anything!" I yelled now getting a bit irritated. "I don't know anything about that village and I don't know anything about Brain!"

"Come on! We all know that's not true," snapped Doranbolt. "You're Brain's right hand man. You were practically his bodyguard! Are you really that desperate to cover for him?!"

I then felt a flare of anger surge my body making me immediately glare at Doranbolt. "Why would I cover for someone as demented as he is?!" I roared. "He's a monster! He threatened to hurt my friends and even went as far as to take control of my mind! I would never work nor would I ever cover for a guy like him!"

The room then fell silent after my outburst. Doranbolt then resumed his pacing while Lahar cleared his throat before speaking again. "In any case, you were seen with another wanted criminal, Jellal Fernades. Do you know if he had anything to with the recent events?"

"No I don't," I said. "All I know about him is that he's like me. He doesn't know anything about who he was or what he has done and he has done terrible things. Or at least that's what he said."

"How convenient," muttered Doranbolt.

"Were you and Jellal working together with the Oración Seis?" continued Lahar.

"No! How many times do I have to say it?" I snapped. "I don't have anything to do with Brain! And I'm very sure that Jellal doesn't know anything either."

"And what about the people in Fairy Tail that were with you when Lahar arrested you?" demanded Doranbolt. "They were referring to you both as one of their own."

"Jellal is a friend of ours!" I said trying to keep my cool. "And to them, I'm also a friend."

"Is that so? Sounds a little suspicious if you ask me," said Doranbolt coolly.

This made snap my head towards the three scarred man glaring at him hotly feeling anger surge through my body again. "What's that supposed to mean?!" I demanded.

"Oh nothing. Just basically saying that I think that those friends of yours are nothing, but a much of liars," said Doranbolt. "After all, Fairy Tail's been a thorn at the council's side for quite some time now. Not to mention that they along with the other guilds that joined in their little alliance have violated the Inter-Guild Conflict-Ban treaty. If they were willing do something like that, I wouldn't be surprised those fools would go through extreme lengths just to cover a couple of criminals like you and Jellal. Maybe we should question them to get the answers we need instead of you."

I immediately sat up and got so close Doranbolt's face that our forehead were almost touching. "Leave my friends out of this," I growled coldly. "If you even think about getting them involved or causing them trouble in any way, I swear that I'll make you regret it."

Doranbolt smirked. "Is that supposed to be a threat?"

The two of us glared at each other dangerously. If wasn't stuck in these cuffs, I would have torn Doranbolt apart. He can threaten me all he wanted, but there was no way in hell that I wasn't gonna stand by and let him threaten the people from the alliance. Especially Fairy Tail.

After a few seconds, Lahar then stood up.

"That's enough, you two," he said calmly. "Especially you Doranbolt. I won't allow you to start picking fights."

Doranbolt clicked his tongue and I sat back down feeling my blood that was boiling cool down a little. Then there was a few knocks on the door. Lahar went over to it and opened it. There appeared to be someone who was behind the door. Then Lahar beckoned Doranbolt to come with him out of the room with him. He followed, but not before giving me a sideways glance. All I could do was sit in my chair fuming.

* * *

 **NO POV**

Doranbolt and Lahar had stepped out of the room to find Akzuinu waiting for them.

"Master Akzuinu," said Lahar a bit surprised.

"Has he told you two anything?" asked Akzuinu. "Anything at all?"

Lahar shook his head. "No sir. I'm afraid he has yet to reveal anything to us."

"Are you sure?" asked Akzuinu. "There has to be at least something we can use against him."

"I'm sorry Master Akzuinu," said Lahar. "But we couldn't get anything from him."

"Either he's really good at playing dumb, or he's telling the truth," said Doranbolt.

"Well then, keep pressuring him!" said Akzuinu angrily. "Keep grilling him until he finally snaps! I refuse to let a criminal like him have a chance to walk off! Especially since that old bat Tu-Chi has taken a shine to him!"

He was now starting to seethe in anger clenching his fist remembering what Tu-Chi said about him. Seeing the dog man like this made both Lahar and Doranbolt a little worried.

"Excuse me Master Akzuinu," said Lahar. "With all due respect, but aren't you getting a little... personally motivated?"

"There's no way that I'm gonna let that old bat get away with setting that boy loose and for insulting me in front of the other council members!" snapped Akzuinu. "I won't stop till that boy is behind bars! Do whatever it takes to make him talk. Use magic if you have to!"

Doranbolt and Lahar were surprised upon hearing that.

"Hold on a second, Master Akzuinu," said Doranbolt. "I don't like the guy either, but is using that really necessary?"

"Yes it is," said Akzuinu. "Doranbolt, your magic gives you the ability to peer into a person's memories doesn't it?"

"My magic doesn't work like that sir," said Doranbolt. "Even if I wanted to, my magic can't peer into a person's memories."

Akzuinu was now even more frustrated. He started to turn red in the face and he looked ready to explode in anger, but then...

"What seems to be going on here?" demanded a voice.

The three men looked to see that Org was walking towards them. As soon as Akzuinu saw him, he immediately cooled down.

"Org. What are you doing here?" he asked trying to sound normal.

"I was just making my rounds on checking on the prisoners," explained Org. "I happened to notice that a certain one in particular is missing Akzuinu. Tell me, would you happen to know where that prisoner would be?"

"Isn't it obvious? He's being questioned," said Akzuinu.

Org's eyes narrowed. "And why may I ask is he being questioned?" he asked.

"Isn't it obvious? He's guilty!" barked Akzuinu. "He keeps on denying his crimes, so Lahar and Doranbolt are asking him questions."

"You do realize that this is unethical," said Org. "Not to mention that you're practically violating rights."

"And since when is it any of your business Org?" growled Akzuinu. "Why don't you just stay out of it?"

"Because I don't want you doing anything stupid," said Org. "Especially since you seem to be personally involved all because of an old woman insulting you. You may be a member of the council, but I will not tolerate this kind of behavior as will not Gran Doma if he finds out what you were doing."

"Do you intend to report me?" demanded Akzuinu.

"If that's what I have to do," replied Org.

"What is with you Org? Can't you see that he's guilty?!" yelled Akzuinu. "You really must be blind if you can't see that! No wonder you were fooled into activating the R system!"

Org glared at Akzuinu and he glared at him back not backing down. The tension was so tense, that even Lahar and Doranbolt didn't dare to even breathe.

After a while Org broke the silence. "I understand and respect the fact that you think that he's guilty," he said. "But need I remind you that we are not above the law no matter what position we have nor how much we think that a person is guilty. I would also like to add that I've learned from my mistakes and I would rather not focus on the past. Instead, I would like to focus on the here and now. You will release the boy and return him to his cell. If this happens again, I will report you. Is that understood?"

Akzuinu was grumbled under his breath in response and then Org turned to Lahar and Doranbolt.

"As for you two, return Willy Falconer to his cell," he said. "I will overlook this due to the fact that you both were following Akzuinu's orders."

"Yes sir," replied the two.

And with that, Lahar and Doranbolt went inside to return Willy to his cell.

* * *

 **WILLY'S POV**

I had been sitting in the room all by myself for a few minutes now wondering what was going on outside. I had heard some shouting, but I couldn't really make out who it was. Then the door opened and then Lahar and Doranbolt stepped back in. At first, I was afraid that they were going to question me some more, but I was wrong.

"Come on. We're returning you to your cell," said Lahar.

I was surprised. "Wait... what? Just like that? One minute, you're questioning me and then the next minute, it's back in my cell?"

"Believe us, we're not too thrilled either, but we have our orders," said Doranbolt. "Consider yourself lucky. Now come on. Let's go."

I then stood up and stepped out of the room. When I did, I saw two people which turned out to be two of the council members that I saw in the court room, one of them being that dog man and the other being the old man with the white beard. I wanted to ask what was going on and what they were both doing here, but I never really had a chance to ask for two frog guards led me away leading me back to my prism cell with Lahar leading them.

As they walked, I couldn't help, but look back towards the two council members who both looked at me. The dog man in particular was looking at me with angry eyes while the old man simply looked at me without any emotion at all. Then one of the frog men yanked my chain a little causing me to stumble a little and look forward as I walked on.

Soon enough, I was once again placed back into my prism cell floating helplessly inside it. At this point, my mind was one again muddled with emotions. Not to mention that I was beginning to doubt if I was truly innocent or not.

"Maybe they're right," I thought to myself. "Maybe I really did those things and I just don't remember doing them..."

I then realized what I was thinking and I furiously shook my head.

"No! Don't think like that! I can't go getting negative right now! I just have to keep my spirits up and hang in there," I thought. "I know I'm innocent! And come tomorrow, I'll remember everything and then I'll be able to prove I'm innocent."

I sat down in my cell and let out a small sigh as I waited for the promised day to arrive hoping that it would be soon.

* * *

 _After a rough interrogation, Willy is still hanging in there..._

 _Dragoman out!_


	57. Chapter 57 Regaining Memories Part 1

_Fairy Tail Zero is now out on DVD!_

 _I also managed to get this next chapter finished!_

 _Happy reading!_

* * *

Chapter 57

Regaining Memories Part 1

 **NO POV**

Tomorrow had now become today. All of the members of the Magic Council were gathered in an immense hall. It had four statues with each member standing on a hand of a statue while Gran Doma himself stood on a pillar in the center surround by the statues and the members which also stood on a pool of water.

"Listen well," said Gran Doma. "Today is the day that Tu-Chi will show proof of Willy Falconer's involvement of the Oración Seis and Nomekop. As you're all well aware, Tu-Chi claims that she not only has proof of the boy's innocence, but she also plans to restore his memories and wants to take us to a sacred location. So I want you all to use your judgement to the best of your ability to uphold the sanctity of order and make sure to keep your emotions in check." He then looked at Akzuinu. "Is that understood?"

Everyone of the members nodded. Akzuinu let out a huff, but he too nodded.

"Very well then," said Gran Doma. "Summon Lahar and Doranbolt and prepare a carriage as well."

* * *

 **WILLY'S POV**

I had just woken up after getting a decent amount of sleep. I felt well rested, but I felt a little bit sore due to the floor of my prison being a tad hard. Not to mention I still haven't really eaten or drank anything for who knows how long, but that was the least of my problems. I was more thinking about what was going to happen today. I felt so nervous because I didn't know what kind of memories would I see upon remembering and I was worried about finding out if I really did do those horrible things. However, I was also kind of okay. I really couldn't explain why though. Probably because that I knew I was innocent and I couldn't wait to prove the council wrong.

Then I noticed a couple frog people coming towards my prison. That was when I knew, it was finally time. I took a deep breath and steeled my nerves. I then stood up just as my prism opened up. I then stepped out of my prism once again and was cuffed and lowered down to the ground below where Lahar and Doranbolt were waiting for me. The moment I saw the two, I recalled yesterday back when they were interrogating me for answers regarding my crimes. It still made me angry, but the last thing I wanted was to give those two a reason to mess with me, so I gave them no reaction. As we left the room, I looked back hoping to find any sign of Jellal or Richard, but I couldn't see them.

"Keep moving," said Doranbolt as he pushed me along.

I then kept on walking ahead leaving the the room behind me. I was lead down the halls once again. As we walked, I passed by several frog people as well as a couple of normal people. I could feel that they were staring at me, but I kept my eyes forward not wanting to make eye contact.

We soon walked out of the building and then came outside. Due to me being inside for who knows how long, I had to squint my eyes since I couldn't shield them from the bright sunlight. Thankfully, my eyes were able to adjust and they were welcomed to the sight of the outside world. I could feel the breeze of fresh air lick my skin which felt good. It felt like it had been ages since I had felt fresh air, but I didn't have the time to savor it.

As we continued to walk, I could see a carriage in sight being guarded by two people. It was pretty big and it appeared to be driven by three strange four-legged creatures which appeared to be a fusion of dogs and bison. As soon as the people saw us approaching, they opened the doors and Lahar pushed me inside of the carriage.

"Please stay in here," said Lahar. "And don't try anything funny. Need I remind you that the cuffs have seal stones on them."

"Hope you enjoy the ride," said Doranbolt

The door then shut behind me leaving me alone in the darkness of the carriage.

"And once again I'm in a cage in total darkness again," I thought. "You'd think that they'd give it a rest already with this. And they could this a bit more comfortable."

I then I heard the bison dogs groan and with a jolt the carriage was on the move. Because of the jolt I stumbled a little and fell on my butt on the seat. I wasn't hurt, but I was most annoyed.

"Would it have killed them to give me a warning if they were going start moving?" I grumbled to myself. "Well then... I guess I better sit down and enjoy the ride. This might be the last one I'll ever get."

I made myself comfy as best I could as carriage rolled on enroute to my unknown destination.

* * *

 **NO POV**

Meanwhile at a certain location, Tu-Chi holding her staff with Jade on top and Finn were standing outside of a cave hidden in the forest waiting for Willy and the other council members to show up. As they waited, the cool breeze wafted through their trees making some of the leaves fall to the ground. Everywhere around was quiet and peaceful. Not a sound could be heard.

They waited and waited. Soon enough, they could hear a clattering and the sound of rolling wheels. In the distance, they could see four carriages rolling towards them. Three of them were being lead by horses and looked extravagant, but the fourth looked rather plain and was being lead by three strange creatures that appeared to be fusions of dogs and bison.

"I'll give the council this much," said Finn. "They want to let everyone know who's on top and who's on the bottom."

"Pay no attention to them Finn," said Tu-Chi. "Focus only on the goal that lies in front of us."

"Yes Master," said Finn. "I'm... just a bit on edge is all."

Soon the carriages pulled up and all of the Magic Council members stepped out from them. Tu-Chi then greeted Gran Doma.

"Welcome Gran Doma," she said. "I'm glad that you and the rest of the council could come. I trust that Willy is here with you?"

"Yes. He's inside the carriage behind us," replied Gran Doma. "I take it that the location that you're going to be taking us is somewhere inside that cave?"

"Correct," replied Tu-Chi. "It's a location I usually come to whenever I need to get away from it all. In any case, let's get things started shall we? I know you and the council are busy people, so I don't want to take too much of your time."

Gran Doma said nothing as he turned towards the guards standing next to the carriage where Willy was contained.

"Release the prisoner," he commanded.

The guards gave a quick salute and prepared to open the carriage.

* * *

 **WILLY'S POV**

I sat in the carriage losing myself to the vibrations of it moving. Then I felt the carriage come to a complete stop and the door opened. I was then greeted by the guards who were guarding my carriage.

"Please step out, Mr. Falconer," said one.

I did as the guard said and stepped out. As I stepped out of the carriage, I then had the cuffs taken off of me by the guards. At first, I thought I was finally going to have some freedom, but then the guards put some shacks that were vastly different from the cuffs which made me sigh in annoyance.

"Is this really necessary?" I asked aloud.

"Sorry, but the Magic Council doesn't trust you," said the guard. "These shackles are an extra precaution."

I didn't say anything more as I took a quick look around of my surroundings. We seemed to be at some kind of hidden location inside of a forest. I also saw all of the members of the Magic Council as well as Tu-Chi who had a staff with a green bird-like creature and a young man who I've never seen before. He was pretty tall and he had bright orange hair with a couple gray hairs. He also looked young, but he had a couple of wrinkles on the sides of his eyes making me assume that he was middle-aged.

He really looked familiar to me, but like before, I couldn't remember who he was. I assumed that he was the other cloaked figure who was in the courtroom the other day. Then the two guards led me towards Tu-Chi, he associate and the Council making them all take notice. As soon as Tu-Chi saw me, she smiled gently.

"Well then. Now that everyone is present and accounted for, everyone please follow me," she said.

She then walked inside of the cave grabbing a torch that hung on the cave's wall and entered with the rest of us following suit. The man that was with her went first, then me with the two guards, and finally the Magic Council. Inside the cave, it was very dark and quiet with only Tu-Chi's torch giving us the light we needed to see. As we continued on, I couldn't help, but feel that something was strange about this place. Something that seemed very... different.

We walked and we walked until I heard a sound. A gurgling and a rushing sound. The moment I heard it, I felt my throat getting dry. I knew what the sound was. It was the sound of rushing water. If I wasn't shackled like how I was, I would have rushed off without a second thought wanting to go to where the water was, but I couldn't. Then the tunnel grew wider as we walked into a bigger room of the cave. Tu-Chi then stopped.

"We're here," she said. Then she turned to the bird creature on top of her staff. "Go on now, my friend."

The bird creature let out a squawk and then flapped its wings. It grabbed the torch from Tu-Chi in its talons and then took off into the air. The bird creature flew around the walls of the room in the cave. As it did, it skillfully and quickly lit several other torches making the room grow brighter making it better to see. Soon enough, the room was now brightly lit and we all could see the source of the sound.

There in front of us was subterranean lake with a waterfall. The waterfall was gurgling and crashing letting loose gallons of water as it crashed to the water. Upon seeing it, I felt like I was going to go insane from thirst. The water looked so clear and looked prime for drinking.

Gran Doma as well as most of the other magic council members surveyed the area keeping their expressions neutral. Akzuinu however wasn't impressed.

"Why have you brought us to this place?" he asked. "Seems to just be an underground spring to me."

"This spring has special properties including cleansing, healing, and even enhancing spells," explained Tu-Chi. "I usually come here to meditate and develop my various techniques whenever I have time. As for the answer to your question, I plan on showing you to proof of Willy's innocence by casting a spell that I know to cure his amnesia."

"And how will you do that?" asked the white beard man.

"First, Willy has to be lowered into the water," explained Tu-Chi. "Then as he is submerged into the water, I will cast the spell stimulating the water's properties to help him regain his memory. At the same time, I will show you everything that is happening within the boy's mind, so you can see the proof for yourselves. Is that alright with you?"

There was a brief pause. Then the Gran Doma nodded. "Proceed."

"I thank you Gran Doma," said Tu-Chi. Then she turned to the guards that were guarding me. "Now... would you be so kind as to unshackle him? Those chains will most definitely weigh him down."

"Why should we?" asked the caped old man of the council. "He might run away or attack us."

"You can trust me or not, but I can assure you that Willy won't run," said Tu-Chi as she looked at me. "Right Willy?"

I looked at Tu-Chi and I nodded my head. "I won't run. I have no reason to," I said. "You guys would stop me anyway right? Not to mention, I want to remember who I am. I want to prove my innocence."

There was a brief pause. The guards were a little unsure at first not sure, but after a quick nod from Gran Doma they released me from the shackles. As soon as I was free, Tu-Chi then pointed towards the water with her staff.

"Willy, please step into the water if you would," she said. "Once you're the water, swim to the center of the pool and float on your back and be completely still."

I felt a little uneasy, but I did as I was told. As I stepped into the water, I felt how cold the water was which sent a shock through my body, but I kept going until I was waist deep in water. Then I dove underneath the water and I swam to the cent and then floated on my back and made sure I was perfectly still as I floated on the water. Tu-Chi then turned to her associate and gave him a nod. He responded with a nod back to her.

She grabbed her staff and turned towards the water. Then she dashed towards the water and threw her staff into the air. At the same time, she took a great leap and jumped into the air just above her staff. As she descended towards the water below, I instinctively shut my eyes expecting a splash. However, the splash never came. I then opened my eyes to see that Tu-Chi was now standing on her staff in the water. I couldn't help, but be amazed.

Tu-Chi then placed her hands together as if she was saying a prayer, then she began to glow in a bright light radiating in magic power. Then a blue magic circle appeared underneath her. She then began making various signs with her hands while mumbling strange words.

"Rin. Pyō. Tō. Sha. Kai. Jin. Retsu. Zai. Zen."

As she said these words over and over again, I noticed that the glow that surrounded her was now spreading to the water around me. The glow soon spread through out the entire pool. Then the glow began to slowly spread throughout my body. I also began to feel a little drowsy as all of this was happening. I tried to stay awake, but the drowsiness began to grow stronger and stronger and glow spread more and more until finally I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore and everything went dark.

* * *

 **NO POV**

Tu-Chi kept on chanting as the water glowed and the Magic Council watched on. Some of the members were amazed for what they were seeing. Others kept a neutral expression not caring at the least from this sight. Soon enough, Tu-Chi stopped chanting as well as the glow surrounding Willy and the water died down. There was a long silence. Then suddenly, Willy sank into the water disappearing from view. Some of the members of the council became alarmed.

"The boy! He's sunk into the water!" cried the woman in the lavender dress.

"Has he drowned?" asked Org worriedly.

"Or maybe he's planning his escape!" growled Akzuinu. "I knew I shouldn't have-"

"Calm yourselves," interrupted Finn. "That was supposed to happen."

"Tu-Chi. Please explain what's going on here," said Gran Doma.

Tu-Chi then calmly jumped off her staff grabbing it and then walked out of the water. "There's no need to be concerned or alarmed," she said. "Like Finn said, this was supposed to happen. Right now, Willy is in a deep sleep entering the deepest parts of his mind. If things go smoothly, Willy will regain his memory and will be able to prove his innocence of the charges against him."

"I see," said Gran Doma. "And you also plan to show us everything that is going on in the boy's mind. How do you intend to do that?"

"Me and Finn will handle that," said Tu-Chi. "Come on Finn."

"Right Master," said Finn.

The two then stood on opposite sides of the pool. Then they placed their hands in the water and the edge of the pool began to glow. Then a magic circle appeared before the Magic Council in the water. In the Magic Circle, an image began to form. It was a bit fuzzy at first, but then the image in the circle soon became clear.

* * *

 **WILLY'S POV**

Everything was very dark. Then my eyes slowly opened. I found myself in the void of water just like before back when I woke up in the Nirvana incident. I looked around once again seeing nothing, but blue water. Then I noticed something in the distance. Something was coming towards me. At first I couldn't tell what it was, but it was coming closer and closer. When it came closer enough, I could see what the mysterious thing was.

It appeared it was a strange dark cloud. Upon seeing it, I felt like I've seen it before and it wasn't in the good kind. The cloud then began to change shape taking the form of a humanoid being. Its eyes flashed at me glowing in a strange red color. Before I had a chance to react, the being extended its hand as if it was trying to grab a hold of me. I immediately reacted by throwing punch at it, but the cloud being bent around dodging the blow. I then kicked it and I landed a hit making the being split in half, but the being's two halves rejoined together reforming into one.

I repeatedly tried to punch and kick it hoping to hurt the thing, but the thing either bent dodging or splitting and reforming. I felt a little out of breath as I kept my fists up being on guard.

"What's the deal with this thing?" I thought. "Every time I try to hit it, it keeps dodging and bending. How am I gonna beat this thing?"

Then things grew worse. The being slowly began to grow bigger and taller soon over shadowing me. The being then reached out and clasped its hands around me. Then it began to squeeze me. I struggled trying to break free from its grip, but it kept a firm hold. I gasped as air began to escape from my lungs and I started to suffocate. I clenched my fists about to ignite them with my magic, but the being squeezed harder. Feeling my oxygen being cut off, I felt my breath being caught in my throat making me unable to use my magic.

The being stared at me as it squeezed me. Then just below its red eyes, an evil glowing smile matching his eyes spread across its face. It seemed that it had the intent of killing me. Although I wasn't sure why.

MY vision began to get blurry and I was starting to black out. Then suddenly, a huge current of water blasted the being right in its face blasting its head completely off. The being stopped squeezing me, but still kept a firm hold on me. When its head reformed it snapped its head towards the direction of where the blast came from. Then suddenly someone came zipping right by the being and the hands that held me were cut off making the being shriek in pain.

I coughed and gasped my oxygen returning to my lungs. I also looked back wondering what had just happened. What I saw made my eyes widen in surprise. Something or should I say someone was fighting the being. The person seemed a little young, shorter than me, and was holding a pair of swords which he was using them to repeatedly slash and cut the being forcing the being to go on the defensive. The being threw a giant punch at the person, but the person swam upwards and then shot straight at the being. The person made its swords disappear and cloaked its hands in a blue glow that resembled water and threw a powerful punch right in its made making its head explode in a poof.

As soon as I saw this, I immediately recognized the fighting style.

"Wait a minute..." I murmured. "That's my fighting style! I don't know who that person is, but he or she is using my dragon slayer magic!"

The person continued to fight the being using its fists to bash and hit it. The being tried its best to fight back, but it couldn't keep up with the speed the person was using. It began to grow weak and it wouldn't be able to last much longer. The person took advantage and chuffed out its cheeks and then unleashed a large blast of water from its mouth. The blast hit the being dead on completely overwhelming it. Unable to take the attack, the being howled the blast ravaged it until it disappeared from view.

I floated on over to my rescuer staring at the person feeling confused, amazed, and suspicious. The person then turned around and floated in front of me. I could now see that the person was a young boy who wore blue shorts and a red t-shirt with a strange blue symbol.

"Who... who are you?" I asked tentatively.

The boy young boy came closer and then looked at me. When I saw his face, my eyes widened. He had tan skin with brown eyes and had spiky black hair.

The boy then spoke revealing his identity to me.

"I... am you. The real you."

* * *

 _Willy meets a younger version of himself in his mind..._

 _Tune in next time..._

 _Dragomaster out!_


	58. Chapter 58 Regaining Memories Part 2

_For those of you that are not aware, jacques0's Fairy Tail story of CHild of Heaven has come to an end._

 _I know I said this before, but I just want to say thank you to jacques0 for creating such an incredible story and for being my inspiration._

 _I vow to try to work twice as hard to make a story as great as yours._

 _Kudos to you jacques0!_

 _Anyway, let's get this next chapter done. Enjoy the read!_

* * *

Chapter 58

Regaining Memories Part 2

 **WILLY'S POV**

I stared at the young boy not really sure what I was comprehending. It did feel like it was like a mirror image of myself, but at the same time I still felt doubtful if this boy was the real me. For all I knew, this could be another trick of some sort.

"You're... me?" I wondered. "But... if you're me... then who am I? Do you know?"

"You are Willy Falconer," said my younger self. "A boy who was raised in a village called Nomekop, a resident in Osia, and then a recent in Magnolia."

"I... don't know what those places are," I said. "Well... Nomekop I've heard from the council, but... I don't have any clue what Osia is. Man... there's a lot of things I don't know."

"That is to be expected," the younger me said. "I mean after all, Brain did a number on our mind after all."

"Tell me. Do you really know about who I... well who we are?" I asked. "Please... if you do know then please tell me."

"In order for you to regain your memories, you must go back to the beginning," said my younger self. "Back to when you were first brought into this world."

"You mean... when I was born?" I asked.

The younger version of me nodded. "Correct. If you don't manage to regain your memories, then your life as you know it will come to an end."

At that moment, a strange current seemed to come from behind my younger self. The current buffeted into me sending me backwards and tumbling. I tried to fight it, but the current made me blinded. Then the current stopped and I opened my eyes to find that my younger self somehow mysteriously disappeared. I looked around trying to find him, but everything was the same as it was before. Nothing, but blue water all around me exactly the same as it was before.

Then a felt a warm current and a strange light seeming to come from behind me. I turned around and I saw a strange floating ball of blue light.

"Who are you?" I wondered. "Are you... an enemy?"

Then the ball of blue light spoke in a voice that I've heard before back when I was free from the spell.

"No. I am a friend and I'm here to help you," the blue ball of light said. "I know everything about you and I can help you restore your memory."

Then the water around me began to change. The empty space began changing into a what appeared to be a town. I looked around a little freaked out, but at the same time amazed as the landscape finished taking shape. I was now standing in the middle of some kind of village. The place looked less than modern, but it looked beautiful and very active with lots of people appearing. Upon further looking around to my right I could see that large blue sea.

"What... what is this place?" I wondered. "And why... does it seem so familiar?"

Then I saw someone run right by me causing me to turn my attention towards the person. It was a young man looking to be in his thirties or so, bare chested, had tan skin, and wore nothing but a pair of jean shorts and a pair of sandals. He appeared to look very panicked and very worried.

"Hold on Vera!" the man panted as he ran. "I'm coming! Just hang on until I get there!"

As I watched the man grow smaller and smaller as he ran, I couldn't help but feel my curiousity peaking.

"Vera? I wonder who that is?" I wondered to myself.

Then I decided to follow that man to see why he was in such a hurry to see this Vera person. I kept tailing him until finally he led me to a house that had a crowd at the front door.

"What the heck? What's going on in there?" I wondered.

The man ran towards the house and carefully made his way through the crowd.

"Um... excuse me! Pardon me! Coming through!" he said.

Eventually he made it inside of the house. I then found myself inside of the house in the middle of someone's bedroom. Inside the bedroom lying on the bed, there was a young woman. She was very young, had fair skin and had long black hair that went to her hips. Her eyes were stained with tears and she looked exhausted. She was also holding something that was inside a blanket in her arms close to her chest. With her was a young man who was old with white hair and a long beard to match and had a long white lab-coat while he wore his regular clothes underneath.

Then the man came bursting into the room panting and slightly sweaty. The woman then looked up at him as did the doctor.

"Vera! I'm here!" the man panted as he rushed to the woman's side. "Are you OK?!"

"I'm fine Richard," the woman replied smiling gently. "Just a little worn out that's all."

"I'm so sorry that I couldn't be here sooner," said Richard with slight sadness. "I didn't know that you'd have the baby while I was away."

"It's alright. You have nothing to be sorry for," said Vera. "Besides, now you can see your new son."

"My... son?" wondered Richard.

"Yes Mr. Falconer," said the doctor. "Allow me to congratulate you. Your wife has delivered a healthy baby boy."

Richard looked at the doctor with wide eyes and then looked back at Vera. "Is it true?! Is it really true?!"

"See for yourself," chuckled Vera.

She then unwrapped the blanket revealing a small baby boy hidden inside. The moment Richard saw the baby, he couldn't help but grin from ear to ear and his eyes twinkled with joy and pride.

"He's... he's beautiful..." he murmured.

"I know," said Vera. "He looks just like you."

"You think so?" wondered Richard. "Well I can't argue with that. However, I think I see a little bit of you in him too. Especially around the hair."

The new parents then gazed at their baby boy as it slept peacefully. I watched on from afar staring with wonder and amazement. After a few seconds, Richard looked at Vera.

"So... what should we name him?" he asked. "I'm not exactly good with when it comes to names."

Vera chuckled. "Don't worry. I've chosen a name for him." She paused impressively and then she looked down at the baby. "I've decided to name him... Willy."

My eyes widened with surprise and Richard looked at Vera with surprise.

"Willy..." said Richard tasting how the name felt on his mouth. "Interesting... I like it."

"I figured you would," said Vera. "After all, it's simple and it's cute."

Then the baby began to stir and it opened its eyes and looked at his new parents for the first time ever. It cooed and babbled as it reached out with his tiny hands trying to reach them. Both Vera and Richard smiled and they each took a finger and let the baby hold them.

"See? He likes it," said Vera.

"So he does," smiled Richard. "Then it's decided. From this moment on, your name is Willy Falconer, my son."

As the new family continued to enjoy the moment, I couldn't help but feel a smile work its way to my lips. It was a smile of amazement and pride.

"So that's it... those two... are my parents," I said.

"That's right. This was when you were born in a village called Nomekop," said the voice. "It was a simple fishing village, but it was you home. Your Mother and Father raised you beside the water teaching how to fish, how to swim, and even how to handle boats. It was such a happy time and it seemed like it would last forever. But... sadly it wouldn't."

I was about to ask what the voice meant, but then suddenly the scene before me began to ripple like it was in the water. It started to change turning into another landscape entirely. Then I gasped. The village that I saw that was once a peaceful looking town was now engulfed in fires and flames and destruction. Buildings left and right were being burned down and people panicked and ran for their lives. The cause of all of this destruction was an army of people who were all wearing strange clothes and wore masks with symbols on them. They burned down houses and were killing people and kidnapping children.

My eyes widened in shock and horror at this horrible sight. At the same time, something in my mind told me that I seen and knew this sight before. Then at a particular house, I saw Mama running out from behind the house holding a young boy in her arms while Papa stood outside of the house standing his ground against three of the masked men. It didn't take me long to realize that it was me except I was a few years older.

I watched as my Mama ran as fast as she could until she unexpectedly bumped into one of the masked men. Then I began to realize. This particular memory was one that knew. A memory I buried deep in my mind hoping I wouldn't remember that tragedy again. As I watched my Mama run with me in her arms into the forest, my eyes began filling up with tears for I knew what was coming next. My younger self once again appeared next to me looking very solemn.

"This... this was when..." I murmured.

"That's right. This was when your whole village was destroyed by an attack," said the voice as I watched my Mama put the young boy that was me inside the hole of the tree. "Everything you loved, everything you cared about, gone. Even your Mother and Father who risked their lives to protect you were also gone. You were the only survivor. You even caught a glimpse of your Mother's corpse."

Sure enough, the scene changed again. This time, the village was completely destroyed and everything was in ashes and rubble. I could see myself wandering the village trying to see if there was anyone around. I then could see myself crying in front of my Mama's corpse upon realizing that she was gone. I covered my hand over my mouth as tears began to stream down my face and I couldn't bear to see this anymore. I looked way sobbing quietly as I realized that this was one of my memories. A memory that I would rather be better off forgetting.

The voice spoke to me in a soothing tone. "It's OK. It's a painful memory and it will be forevermore etched into our minds, but it gets better," she said.

I opened my eyes wiping my tears. "How?" I asked.

"Just take a look," said the voice

I looked up and I saw that it changed once again. Now the landscape changed to the inside of a cave. I looked around wondering why it changed to such a place, but then suddenly I heard the sound of a roar coming from above. I snapped my head looking upwards and my eyes popped out of my sockets. A giant blue dragon flew right past me kicking up dust carrying a large fish in its mouth. It touched down in the middle of the cave and placed the fish in front of a person who was with her. Upon looking closely, I saw that it was a younger me again, but I appeared to be a teenager just like the younger me that was acting as a guide. I was a bit surprised mostly because of the dragon.

"A dragon?!" I gasped. "What the heck am I doing with a dragon?!"

"That is your second and adoptive mother, Aquadia," said the voice. "When you were lost in the wilderness after you lost your village, she took you in. Sure she was a big dragon, but she was one of the kindest dragons you'd ever meet. She fed you, took care of you, raised you, and even taught you magic. In fact, she's the reason that we use the type of magic you know today."

I looked at my hands and stared at them with wonder. Even though it already had happened, I still couldn't believe it. I was taught how to use magic by a living breathing dragon.

"Whoa... that's... amazing," I said. "Unbelievable."

"It is isn't?" said the voice. "But... that too wouldn't last very long."

As I continued watching the memory, I noticed that Aquadia was slowly becoming transparent until the beast faded from existence. I was now left all alone looking very lonely and sad inside the cave.

"Aquadia took care of us like a good Mama should," continued the voice. "But then one day, she suddenly disappeared. You were once again all alone. However rather than despairing, you made it your mission to find Aquadia. So you set out on our own to look for her. You walked around in the wilderness until you were on the brink of hunger and dehydration. Luckily, you made our way to a village not too far away. A village called Osia. There you would meet another adoptive parent as well as friends who you would come to know as our best friends and even your next teacher."

I now could see myself standing in another village. It looked pretty much similar to Nomepok, but the only difference was that this village was by a forest instead of the sea. I once more saw people bustling about living their normal lives. Among them was me once again as a teen, but I was walking with a man and three other kids. The man I recognized was the associate that was with Tu-Chi, but I had a little trouble remembering the children that I was walking with. I then heard the voice again.

"That man who you are walking with is called Finn," it said. "And those children are known as the Strauss siblings, Mirajane, Elfman, and Lisanna."

"Finn...? Mira...? Elfman... and Lisanna?" I wondered. "Those names... they do sound familiar..."

"Yes. These people would become your closest friends along with a woman named Sieri," said the voice.

Then scenery changed once again and I was now in a strange landscape outside of the village. There was a tall building standing in the middle of a lake and just on the shores of the lake, I could see myself once again fighting against a woman I immediately recognized.

"Wait... that's Tu-Chi!" I said. "So... she was my mentor just like she said."

"Correct," said the voice. "Tu-Chi was a master of water spells and she saw you, she saw something in you that made you special. That was when she decided to take you in as your student, mastering spells and gaining experience."

I continued to watch my younger self train with Tu-Chi and began to feel nostalgic. This scene was so familiar and it felt like I remembered it well. However, that feeling didn't last very long. For in a torrent of bubbles, the memory changed.

I found myself standing in Osia once again. This time, Osia was in flames and the town seemed to be empty. I felt my face beginning to pale and stomach twist and turn.

"No... don't tell me..." I murmured. "Don't tell me this is another attack?!"

"Yes. It was," said the voice. "But don't worry. This time, things would be different."

Sure enough, I saw myself in the past running past all of the destruction looking very determined. Then I saw myself running into a building where Mira was happened next made my jaw drop. Inside of the building was Mira being corned by what looked like to be a monster. My younger self fought the demon bravely trying to protect Mira using my water magic, but the demon proved to be too strong as it was able to easily overpower me. Then Mira stepped in between the demon and me shielding me. The demon attacked not caring if Mira was in front of it raising its claws. At the last moment, I jumped in a pushed Mira out of the way taking the blow for her in my stead. Then the memory went black.

A few seconds later, I awoke to find that the demon was still there, but Mira was nowhere to be found. I then saw my younger self try to reason with the demon trying to get it to stop. At first I couldn't figure out why, but then I saw that some of the demon features were similar to Mira's Then I realized.

"Wait a second... the demon and Mira... did they..." I began.

"Yes. Somehow when she saw you take the blow for her, Mira activated her magic power which you will eventually come to know is Take Over," finished the voice. "You blacked out after that battle. You and Mira were able to come out of that battle alive. However... things would get bad for the Strauss siblings because of that battle."

I then could see a house just outside of Osia. There was an angry mob outside of it holding torches, sickles, and various other items they were using for weapons. Inside of the house, the Strauss siblings were in under the window in one room trying their best to ignore the villagers. I could also see that Mira was wearing a cloak and her hand looked just like the demon that she and I encountered before. The voice then explained.

"Due to not being aware of her magical abilities at the time, the villagers thought of her to be a demon," it said. "No matter how much anyone tried to explain. And so not having much of a choice, the Strauss siblings were forced to leave Osia. Not wanting to leave them alone, you went along with them with the hopes of returning Mira to normal and finding another home."

I now saw my younger self walking through various places and landscapes along with the Strauss siblings as they looked for another place to live. Then the four eventually came to a town which was a lot bigger than either of the villages.

"Eventually, you all would end up in the town of Magnolia," said the voice. "There you would meet a group of people that you will eventually come to know as your closest friends and family. A group of people part of a wizard's guild called Fairy Tail."

That was a name I definitely knew. Not only that, but I saw a few familiar faces as I saw myself and the siblings among the guild members. I saw a younger Natsu who was picking a fight with a younger Gray, and I saw Elfman and Lisanna reading a book with a young blue-haired girl, and I saw Mira fighting with Erza. Seeing this made me smile at first, but then I saw my younger self sitting by myself at booth watching this scene.

"Why am I sitting all by myself like that?" I wondered asking the voice.

"It's because when Mira's condition was cured, you were focused on another mission," explained the voice. "That was finding information about Aquadia. You searched and you searched for any info, but sadly you weren't able to find anything. This was also the reason why you didn't join the guild at the time. But you didn't really mind it. As long as the Strauss siblings were happy, you were happy too. Plus, the people in Fairy Tail were very kind and good people."

There was a sudden burst of bubbles again as I began to see a different memory. What I saw surprised me. I was lying down on a bed in a hospital looking pale and very sick. Next to me was a doctor with white hair and a white beard. The moment I saw him, I had a nagging suspicion like I had seen this fellow before and I didn't like him.

"What's going on here?" I asked. "And why... do I feel like I despise that man with the white beard?"

"You had developed a condition when you had too much magic power inside of your body," said the voice. "You ended up in the hospital for days and then that was when your were taken. That man who you called Silver Beard was responsible to taking you away from Magnolia and into the what you would come to know as the Bureau of Magical Development."

At this point, I began to get a slight headache as that name struck a chord in my mind. I shook my head trying to shake off the pain as the memory changed once again in a ripple of water. I then saw my young myself being in a strange and spacious room hung by a pit with cables. My mind started to hurt a lot more now as I felt memories once again being brought up to the surface.

"No... this... this is when..."

"Yes. You were kidnapped by Silver Beard of which who was working for Brain of the Oración Seis," said the voice. "Are you starting to remember now?"

"Yes... I do," I said as I held my head. "I was experimented on and then... I..."

The memory then showed me being shocked by a strange energy with Silver Beard and Brain watching. My body seemed to tingle as if it was now remembering the pain that it felt back then. I stared at the this scene unfolding in front of my eyes. My mind had become numb and I felt something gnawing inside of me. My mind was also going a mile a minute as all the memories that I've seen just now were now coming up to the surface. It felt overwhelming and I felt like I was going to throw up.

Then a dark cloud then slowly appeared in front of me. I looked up and I could see an image taking shape inside of the cloud. It was another memory. A memory that I didn't know, but knew what was transpiring in it. It was when Brain and Silver Beard had cast the spell to control me and were running tests to see if the spell worked. As Brain gave me orders during the test, I followed them without question whether it was destroying lacrima powered drones or training with the Oración Seis when they were children. The image vanished and a reflection of myself appeared. However, the reflection I saw wasn't me but at the same time was me. It was me when I was Shark of the Oración Seis.

As I stared at other self, the self that was born thanks to Brain, I couldn't help but feel disgusted, angry, and ashamed. The reflection that was known as Shark may have had his eyes hidden in his mask, but I could feel his eyes staring right my own. Lifeless, cold, and even evil. I clenched my fists in anger and not wanting to see this alter ego of me anymore, I let out a scream of frustration and punched the cloud with my fist which was cloaked with my magic power destroying it.

Now there was nothing but silence. I stood there panting trying to calm myself down. The blue ball of light then reappeared behind me.

"I see that you now know that those memories are yours," it said.

"That may be so... but I don't know if I'm really happy about this," I said bitterly. "I may remember now and I know that it wasn't my fault, but that doesn't change the fact that I was that... that... being. Not to mention... I let myself be manipulated by those... those..."

"That's understandable," said the ball of light. "But you cannot allow yourself to think like that."

I then turned to the ball of light my anger cooling down a little bit. "How? At this point, I feel like I can't trust anyone. I can't even trust myself after everything that's happened... How? How can I make amends for what happened?"

There was a long silence. Then the ball of light hovered just in front of me.

" Some wizards are truly great at manipulation," it said gently. "They can lie, cheat, and even take control on you and treat you badly. The worst of it all is that they can somehow make it seem like those who are manipulated their fault. The only thing that you can do is to not fall for their tricks in the future. And to answer your other question, didn't someone once told you the answer about that question a while ago?"

At first, I didn't know what the light meant, but then Jellal's face came into my mind along with his words back when I first woke up.

 _"It's not just you. I too have done some terrible things that I have not been aware nor proud of. In fact, I'm the reason Nirvana's been activated. I've even done some things that are absolutely unforgivable. I thought that the only way for me to atone for my sins was to give up my life, but... something made me change my mind. Something that someone once told me."_

 _I looked at Jellal. "And... what did that person say?"_

 _Jellal smiled and looked up at Erza. "She told me that I can make up for my mistakes by living with hope._ _As long as I'm alive, I won't rest until Nirvana is destroyed."_

"That's right... Jellal did say something like that," I said. "He didn't let it get to him even though that he didn't know and was aware of the horrible things he did..."

"That's right," said the ball. "And you shouldn't let it get to you either. You must try to move on and live your life. You're free now and free to live your life however you see fit. Now... it is time for you to return Willy."

Then I felt a strong but gentle current start pushing me upwards. Feeling a bit surprised I looked down as the ball of light seemed to grow smaller and smaller as I went upwards.

"Hey! Wait a minute!" I cried as I tried to swim downwards. "I still have a lot of questions!"

"Those questions will be answered in time," the ball of light said. "For now, you must return to the world of the living and clear your name. I will await your return soon."

The current continued pushing me upwards until the ball of light disappeared from sight. As I looked upwards, I saw that was getting closer and closer to the surface of the water until my entire world became white.

* * *

I burst forth from the surface of the water sucking in as much air as I could. I gasped and coughed as I kept my head afloat just above the water. I went under the water and then pumped my legs making me shoot out from the water and landed on dry land. I stayed there panting on my hands and knees as I stared at the ground, the water dripping down on it.

"I... I remember," I said. "I remember everything now."

Then I heard some people rush over to me causing me to look up. Among them, was Gran Doma and the Magic Council, a couple of guards from the council, Tu-Chi, and Finn. Tu-Chi stepped forward.

"Do you know who you are now, Willy?" she asked.

I looked at Tu-Chi as well as all the other people there next to her. "Yes. I do Master. I remember everything now."

* * *

 _Willy's memories have now returned!_

 _But the council had seen them too. Is Willy cleared of the charges or is he still guilty?_

 _Stay tuned!_

 _Dragoman out!_


	59. Chapter 59 Return

_Here's the next chapter ladies and gents!_

 _Enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter 59

Return

 **WILLY'S POV**

I was sitting in my prism having to have just been told of my fate. I was feeling a little worried and a bit sick to my stomach. Then I felt my prism being lowered until it touched down on the ground. When it did, I knew it could only mean one thing. It was finally time. I stood up straight and at attention as my prism opened where two guards were waiting for me. They made me out of the prism and began modifying my cuffs.

Then door opened, I saw two more guards leading someone else to the prisms. Upon seeing the prisoner, I saw that it was Midnight from the Oración Seis. As he grew closer and closer, I looked away not wanting to make eye contact with him. Midnight soon was standing right next to me as he too was having his cuffs changed. I could feel him looking at me, but I refused to look at him not giving him anything.

Then I heard him speak. "So Shark... or should I call you Willy," he said. "I heard your fate has been decided by the council."

I kept my mouth shut not saying a single word. Nothing. I would give this guy nothing. Just ignore him.

"That's good, but... you should know something. Even if you ever get your freedom. I'd would strongly recommend enjoying it while you can," Midnight continued. "The reason being is that even if you are innocent, the damage has already been done. People will never see you as a good wizard. To them, you're still a dark wizard that served my father."

I clenched my hands trying my best not to listen to him, but Midnight's words kept reaching my ears.

"And it won't be just the people who will think that, the light guilds will turn you away due to your background, and even the dark guilds that are out there will refuse to accept you. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they deemed you a traitor to the Balem Alliance. They'll most likely send wizards to hunt you down."

My heart skipped and my eyes widened. I could feel my arms begin to tremble slightly.

"But if you want my own opinion, I personally want the pleasure of taking you down myself," Midnight said with slight sadism and anger. "As a means of revenge for turning on us. However, sadly that won't be able to happen due to me being stuck in these... surroundings. But I'm not worried. We'll have our time. Till then... I'll be waiting till we meet again... Shark."

Soon enough, Midnight stepped into his prism and I was changed into different chains and led out of the room and into the halls. As I was being led down the hall, I felt very nervous and felt my heart beating like a jackhammer.

"I can't believe this..." I thought to myself. "I can't believe that this is happening to me..."

As I continued being led down the halls, I began to grow more and more nervous due to Midnight's previous words and about what fate was about to befall me. Soon enough, the two guards unshackled the cuffs on my wrists and my ankles. I rubbed my wrists trying to soother the ache from being cuffed for so long. Then the two guards went to the doors and opened them. A bright light shone through them blinding me. I was still feeling nervous, but I plucked up courage and then walked through the doors.

Through those doors... was the outside. It felt like it had been forever since I've been outside like this. I took a deep breath taking in as much air as I can and let it out with a content sigh.

"Fresh air has never felt so good," I said.

"Well that is to be expected," said a voice in front of me. "You have been through a lot. It's about time you'd get some freedom."

I looked in front of me and my felt my smile grow wider. There waiting for me was Tu-Chi and Finn. I immediately went over to them and wrapped Finn in a bear hug. Finn was a bit surprised, but he returned the hug with earnest.

"Man Willy! I've forgotten how much you've grown," chuckled Finn. "Then again it's been six years since I've seen you."

"I missed you so much Finn," I said. "I'd thought I'd never see you again."

With a squawk, Jade flew off of Tu-Chi's staff and landed on top of my head.

"Hey Jade," I chuckled. "I see you're just as mischievous as ever."

Then I looked at Tu-Chi who had a neutral expression on her face. I turned over to her and respectfully bowed to her.

"It's great to see you again too, Master Tu-Chi," I said. "I thank you for getting me out of there and... I apologize for all the trouble I caused you. Please forgive me."

I then felt Tu-Chi placing her hand gently on my shoulder causing me to look up at her. She kept her neutral expression, but her eyes were filled with kindness and understanding.

"There is nothing to forgive, my student," she said gently. "You were not in your right mind. This was Brain's doing. However, you should consider yourself lucky."

* * *

 _Willy was standing in the courtroom before the Magic Council once again. He had been told that the Council had witnessed everything that went on inside his mind thanks to Tu-Chi and had been debating for a couple of days now on Willy's verdict. Now the jury was in and Willy nervously awaited whatever fate the council had for him. Tu-Chi and Finn stood at the back of the room as a means of support. Soon the council reappeared in the chairs of the desks all of them being projections.  
_

 _"We the Magic Council have reached a verdict," said Gran Doma. "After debating for quite some time and reviewing the evidence that was shown to us, we the Magic Council find the defendant, Willy Falconer not guilty."  
_

 _Willy's eyes widened as he looked at Gran Doma with shock. Finn was just as surprised and Tu-Chi kept a neutral expression not showing any emotion.  
_

 _"Therefore, the defendant will be released into the custody of the Ten Wizard Saint, Tu-Chi," continued Gran he turned to me. "Mr. Willy Falconer, you're free to go. Case dismissed."  
_

* * *

"But... I still don't understand why they let me go," I said. "I mean... you'd think with a council like that, they would have locked me up even though I was innocent."

"I suppose even the new Magic Council has its good moments," said Finn. "Even though they're doing everything in their power to uphold their so called order."

"Well, let's be glad that they didn't use Willy as an example," said Tu-Chi. "In the meantime, what do you say we leave this place?"

"I agree," said Finn.

We were all just about to leave when we heard a voice coming from behind us.

"Excuse me. Please wait a moment."

The three of us turned and we saw Org walking up to us. I didn't really know him at the time, but I recognized him as one of the members of the council that was sitting in the courtroom.

"Thank goodness I was able to catch you three before you left," said Org as he came up. He looked towards me. "First and foremost, I wanted to say what a relief it is that you were proven innocent Willy. I had to admit, even I was worried about the outcome of this trial and I would personally like to apologize for all the trouble you've gone through. Please forgive me."

"No. It's alright," I said shaking my head. "There's no reason to apologize."

"Well this is a surprise. An apology from Org," said Tu-Chi. "That's something rare you don't normally hear."

"Don't get used to it," said Org. "Anyway, there's another reason why I'm here. I have something to give to Willy." He then dug into his coat and pulled out a small envelope and gave it to me.

I raised a brow as I inspected the envelope. "What is this?" I wondered.

"Something that I've been meaning to give you for the past six years," said Org. "I wanted to give it to you the very first chance that I could get a chance to speak with you."

I looked at Org feeling a bit puzzled, then I looked at the envelope. I felt a little curious as to what was in it, so I decided to open it and see what was inside. I opened the envelope and then my eyes stared at the object that was inside of it. I could feel my heart throbbing in my chest and my hands beginning to tremble along with my lip.

I continued to stare at the object in the envelope. I then pulled the object out of the envelope and stared intently at it with my still trembling hands. My vision then became blurry as my eyes started to fill up with tears and my fell to the ground on my knees for I knew very well what this was.

It was a picture of me as a child smiling happily with my Mama and my Papa.

"Where... where did you get this?" I choked out.

"I found it in the ruins of a house which I would assume was yours over in Nomekop," said Org quietly. "I've been keeping it with me all these years with the hopes of returning it to you. And there's something else... I... was there when your mother died..."

I looked up at the man in disbelief. "You... you saw my Mama?" I asked my voice cracking.

"Yes. It's true. She was severely wounded and we tried our best to save her... but it was already too late," continued Org. "Your mother knew this as well, but she only cared about one thing even though she was on the brink of death. In fact... she wanted me to pass along her last words when I found you." He paused impressively.

"Your mother's said... that she will always and forever love you."

At that moment, I could no longer hold the tears in my eyes. They trickled down my cheeks as I openly began to sob. It didn't matter if Finn and Tu-Chi or even Org was in front of me, I just wanted to cry. A storm of emotions were flying through my body, but mostly of sadness, happiness, and disbelief. As I sat there crying, I held the picture close to my chest.

"Thank you..." I sobbed. "Thank you... thank you..."

Those two words were all I could say as I continued to let out my tears that I've held in for so long.

* * *

After a while, I managed to calm down and run out of tears to shed.

"Have you calmed down now, Willy?" asked Finn.

"Yeah," I sniffed wiping my eyes with my hand. "Sorry about that... I... was just overwhelmed is all. Thank you, Master Org."

"You are quite welcome," said Org. "I'm just glad that I was able to fulfill my promise to your mother. I can only say that I'm sorry for your loss and I only wish I could have done more."

He then turned around and walked away back towards the branch leaving me alone with Finn and Tu-Chi. I then let out a sigh and turned to Finn and Tu-Chi.

"Shall we go then?" asked Finn.

I only replied with a small nod. Then Finn and Tu-Chi spread their water wings and took off into the air with a mighty flap. I took one last look at the branch and then I spread my wings and followed after them.

* * *

The three of us flew high above in the air having to have traveled many miles. As we flew, I had a lot of things on my mind. I tried my best not to think, but that only made me think about them more.

"Hey Willy! You doing OK back there?"

Finn's voice then snapped me out of my thoughts causing me to look up. I could see that Finn was concerned, but I didn't want to him to worry, so I decided to try and focus on something else.

"I'm alright," I called back. "I'm just trying to get used to flying that's all. It's been a while since I've been able to spread my wings. Anyway, where are we going?"

"There's town not too far away from here," said Finn. "It's called Hargeon. We're going there to rest up a bit. Plus Master's meeting up with someone."

"Meet up with someone? Who is it?" I wondered.

"I'm not really sure," said Finn. "She wouldn't give me the specifics of who it was. All she could tell me is that the person's been wanting to see you for some time as well."

This made me feel a bit puzzled as to who was the person that wanted to meet Tu-Chi as well as me. Was it an enemy of sorts or was someone that I knew? Soon our destination came in sight. The town of Hargeon.

Its appearance looked pretty beautiful with its old building and its large marina. As the three of us flew above the buildings, I noticed that the people below were busily walking either working or going about their daily lives. Some of them happened to look up at us and were either surprised or amazed by what they saw. We flew past various buildings until finally Tu-Chi and Finn began to descend until they touched down to the ground. I then followed suit and landed on the ground just behind them.

"We're here," said Tu-Chi. "This is the place."

I looked up and I was a little surprised as well as confused. The building was about two stories tall, had large glass windows, and had a grey chimney on top with a large sign with a strange white hat that said "8 Island". I also felt a smell waft into my nose which made my stomach growl slightly. From the looks of things, it was some kind of restaurant.

"Um... excuse me, but... what are we doing at a restaurant?" I wondered.

"Isn't it obvious? To eat," said Tu-Chi. "You have been locked up with the for quite some time now, so I would assume that you would like something to eat and drink, correct? And to add to that, the chef works here makes excellent food."

"Well... that does sound very good right about now," I said. "It has been a while since I've eaten or drank anything."

"Why don't we go in then?" smiled Finn. "Let's all get something to eat."

Then we walked inside of the restaurant. As we came in, we all took a seat at one of the booths.

"Order anything you'd like Willy," said Finn. "It's on us."

"Alright then," I said as I picked up the menu and scanned over what they had. I knew that I was so hungry that I could eat anything, but there was something that I've been wanting to eat for a long time now. However, I couldn't see it on the menu. Just then, a waiter came up to our table.

"Welcome," said the waiter. "I'd be so happy to take your order. What will it be?"

"I'll take just take a water," said Tu-Chi.

"I'll take the Beast Man Curry," said Finn. "And a Holy Soda."

"Alright then," said the waitor as he took down our orders. Then he looked at me. "And you sir?"

I took one more scan of the menu and still couldn't see what I wanted. I was just about to ask the waiter if they had any fish here, but then Finn spoke.

"He'll have the special of the day along with some water," said Finn. "He's a big fan of seafood."

"Very well," said the waiter. "Great choices. May I interest you in some desert as well?"

"Yes. I'll take a Ruby Parfait," said Tu-Chi. "I do so love the way it tastes."

"Excellent choices," said the waiter. "I'll bring your orders straight away."

And with that, the waiter left. I looked at Finn a little puzzled as to why he ordered for me, but he smiled.

"Don't worry. You'll love the special," he said. "I guarantee it. In the meantime, why don't you change out of those clothes?"

"But... I don't have any to change into," I said.

Then Tu-Chi then tapped her staff making a magic circle appear and then in a burst of light, a change of clothes appeared and landed right on my lap.

"You do now," she said brightly. "I've had a feeling that you'd be needing some new clothes, so me and Finn took the liberty of getting you some new clothes."

I felt surprised, but at the same time feeling grateful. It was practically wearing a pair of raggedy shorts and a t-shirt. Not to mention I was still barefooted. A new change of clothes would do me good right now.

"Thank you very much Master. Thank you Finn," I said. "I'll change right away."

* * *

I soon came back dressed in my new clothes. I was wearing a bright blue t-shirt, a pair of red guards on each of my arms, a pair of black shorts, and a pair of knee-high sandals.

"Well, well. Now you look a lot better," said Tu-Chi.

"Thanks Master," I replied looking at my new clothes for a second and then sitting down. "I feel a lot better too."

"Glad you liked them," said Finn. "So, what do you say we catch up a bit? After all, it's been six years since we've seen you."

"Yeah. I know," I said. "It's been so long since I've seen you guys. What have you two been up to?"

"Well... where do I begin?" hummed Finn to himself. "For starters, ever since you and the others have been gone, things were... still a bit complicated. The other townsfolk are still uneasy after what happened with the demon. Considering that we were there when we found you and Mira, they began to not trust us and were thinking that we were harboring the demon."

"And it wasn't just the master," added Finn. "They began to mistrust me and Sieri as well. After a while, the three of us decided to leave Osia."

"You and Master moved?" I wondered. "How long ago?"

"I'd say it's been a year since we decided to leave," said Tu-Chi. "I didn't want to hang around with people like that. We moved around until Finn and Sieri were able to find a nice place in Oak Town. I personally have taken a liking to Oak Town's forests and its river."

"We? Does that mean that Sieri went with you?" I asked.

"Indeed," said Finn. "In fact, she insisted that she'd go with us whether we liked it or not. Since then, Sieri and I have been living there while Master has made her home in the forest."

"Sounds like you guys have been doing okay," I said. "By the way, how's Sieri doing?"

"She's doing fine," smiled Finn. "Still the same old woman that fantasizing girl who likes to think about love and such."

I couldn't help, but chuckle. It was nice to know that Sieri hadn't changed over the past six years. Then I suddenly remembered. There were three other people that I wanted to know about. Three friends that I haven't seen for quite some time. However before I could ask, I smelled something that immediately made me drool. Sure enough, the waiter had returned with our orders and placed them on the table. My eyes then widened and my mouth began to water. In front of me was a platter of seafood. There was two fish cooked to perfection some fried shrimp on the side. Finn also had his Beast Man Curry and Tu-Chi had her Ruby Parfait.

"Please enjoy," said the waiter as he left.

The moment the waiter left, I immediately pounced on my food like a wolf with a carcass and began devouring my food.

"Whoa! Take it easy, Willy!" Finn said chuckling as he ate his food. "Your food's not going anywhere."

I didn't care nor did I listen. I just continued to wolf down my food savoring each and every bite. I also gulped down cup of water finally easing the dryness of my throat. I'm pretty sure that I had a couple people staring at me, but that didn't matter to me. All that mattered to me was filling my stomach.

After a while, we finished our food and I let out a satisfied sigh as we all left the restaurant. "Man... that was delicious. Best food I've ever had for a long time."

"I agree," said Finn. "When it comes to food, 8-Island is the best restaurant in town."

"I must admit, I have to agree as well," said Tu-Chi who was quietly eating her parfait. "I do so love the Ruby Parfaits."

"So Master, I'm curious about something," I said. "It's about this person who you're planning to meet up with. Who is it exactly?"

Tu-Chi who had just finished her parfait placed her spoon on the counter. "It's someone who's been wanting to see you for quite some time now," she said. "Someone who's been searching for you tirelessly ever since he heard of your disappearance. I've arranged for a meeting when I knew for sure that you were cleared. And the meeting place is going to be at Kardia Cathedral."

He then pointed to a large building in the distance. It was large, had four keeps, and had a bell tower in the middle. It certainly was a beautiful looking place. We then set off heading towards Kardia Cathedral. As we walked along, I looked around at all the people who were busily going about their daily routines. It made me feel somewhat nostalgic about being here in Magnolia once again. Soon enough, we arrived at our destination.

"Man... It's great to see this again," I said. "I remember coming here back when I was with Mira, Elfman, and Lisanna. It seemed like such a long ago. right guys?"

As I turned to Tu-Chi and Finn, I noticed that the two were being unusually quiet for some reason. Not to mention their faces looked somewhat pained making me raise a brow in confusion.

"Finn? Master Tu-Chi? Is... something wrong?" I wondered.

Finn and Tu-Chi looked at each other and then Tu-Chi nodded as if he was signaling Finn for something. Finn then looked at me.

"Willy. There's something that you need to know," he said slowly. "It's... not very easy to say..."

"What is it?" I asked tentatively.

Finn struggled to try and say something, but the words wouldn't come out. Then Tu-Chi stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Let me handle this Finn," she said. "He has a right to know about what has happened." She then looked at me wearing a very grave expression. "Willy... something very tragic happened. Something that happened two years ago while you were being controlled and I think that it'd be best for you to see for yourself. Come."

Tu-Chi then walked ahead heading towards the side of the cathedral and I followed along with Finn. As we made our way to the side of the cathedral, I began to have a really bad feeling in my gut. It's not every day that Tu-Chi wore a painful expression like that neither Finn.

We soon came to the side and what I saw made the blood in my veins grow cold. In front of us was a small cemetery. Every where I looked, I could see the various different graves of those who passed on. Tu-Chi then stopped at a grave in particular and turned towards me. I then saw the words on the grave.

The grave said: "Lisanna. Beloved sister and a friend to animal souls. X768 - X782."

The moment I read those words, I felt the entire world freeze all around me. My eyes were wide with horror and shock as I stared at the gravestone. Memories of Lisanna began floating into my mind. My heart began to beat like a jackhammer and I felt like I couldn't breathe. It couldn't be true. It just can't be true.

"No... no... it can't be..." I gasped stepping back. "It's... it's a trick isn't it? Please tell me it's a trick..."

Tu-Chi sadly shook her head. "I wish I could say that it was, but this is no trick," she said solemnly. "I'm afraid... that Lisanna has passed away. About two years ago."

My heart began to throb rapidly and I felt my eyes fill up with tears until they streamed down my face. One of my very best friends was dead and I felt crushed for finding out this truth. I fell to my knees unable to take my eyes off of the grave stone.

"This... this can't be... Lisanna's... gone?" I said. "How... how did this happen?"

"She died while she was on a job with Elfman and Mira," said a familiar voice. "Those two were especially crushed when they saw her die."

We turned around and saw a certain little old man who was wearing a white tunic with white fur to match. Upon seeing him, I recognized him immediately.

"So you're finally here Makarov," said Tu-Chi. "You certainly took your time getting here."

"Sorry I'm late, Tu-Chi," replied the old man. "I had some matters to take off before I could meet you here." He turned towards Finn. "And how have you been doing, Finn? Hanging in there alright?"

"I'm doing just fine, Master Makarov," replied Finn. "Thank you for asking."

Makrov smiled then he looked at me. The two of us stared at each other in silence for a few seconds, then Makarov walked up to me, a heartfelt smile worked its way on his lips.

"Willy... it really is you," he murmured. "I'm so glad you're here safe and sound."

"Master Makarov..." I said. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought that Tu-Chi told you already," Makarov smiled. "I came here to see if one of my dear children is alright after the past six years. Plus... I felt that you had a right to know about this."

I bit my lip and squeezed my hand letting the tears flow from my eyes. "I'm so sorry," I choked out. "It's my fault... I should have been there... If I wasn't under the control of the Seis... Lisanna would still be..."

"Now, now. Hold on a minute," interrupted Makarov. "You have nothing to apologize for."

"But... I've even caused so much trouble for you and your guild," I said sadly. "I even let myself get controlled by Silver Beard and that Brain guy. And who knows how many more people I've hurt while I was being controlled..."

"Willy, please calm yourself. It's alright. There's no need to burden yourself with guilt of what happened. The past is the past. You should starting focusing on the present and your future. Besides, Lisanna's death was not your fault," said Makarov. "These things happen, so there's no reason to blame yourself." Speaking of the future, what do you intend to do now? What's your next move?"

"My next move? I'm... not really sure," I replied. "To be honest, I never really thought about what I'm planning to do at this point. Why do you ask?"

"I ask is because I want to offer you a chance," said Makarov. "A chance to use your magic for a purpose. In fact, it's something that I've been wanting you to so ever since you came with the Strauss siblings." He paused impressively. "I want you to join Fairy Tail."

I immediately looked at Makarov my eyes wide. "What? You want me to join the guild?" Then Midnight's words floated in my head making me wonder if this was the right move. "But Master Makarov... I don't know if that's a good idea. I mean... you do realize that brain-washed or not, I'm still a former dark mage and a former member of the Oración Seis."

"That may be so, but I still would like you to join," said Makarov. "Natsu and the others would be happy to see that you're safe. Especially Mira and Elfman."

I immediately thought about the fire dragon slayer along with the others that I encountered back when Nirvana was destroyed. I even thought about the two that I wanted to see the most. Mira and Elfman. Lisanna was gone, but at least they were still alive. But I wasn't sure if I wanted to see them or not. I clenched my hands at their sides, both of which were trembling.

"But... I don't deserve it," I said bitterly. "After everything I did, after everything I've done, I'm not sure if I have the guts to show my face around there again. Plus, if word got around that you let it a former dark wizard, I don't know how people are gonna react. I don't want to cause anymore trouble."

Makarov stared at me. Then he spoke again.

"Willy... let tell you something that once I told someone else," he said. "There are some people in this world who would think that isolation is the best punishment for what they did wrong. However, there isn't a single human alive that has the capacity to endure it. Not only that, but I refuse to let a young man like you fall into darkness when I know I could have done something to prevent it."

I felt my heart throb and I bit my lip trying to fight back the emotions.

"I know that you've been through some dark times and you may feel you deserve to be plunged in it," he continued. "But you deserve a lot more. You deserve to be pointed to the right direction to a path towards a bright future. And I'm pretty sure that Tu-Chi would have told you the same thing."

I looked back towards Tu-Chi and Finn and Tu-Chi answered with a simple nod in agreement. I then looked back at Makarov who had now had his hand held out to me looking deep into my eyes.

"Now Willy, I ask you," said Makarov. "Which path will you walk upon? The path to your future? Or will you remain where you stand and stay in your tracks continuing to punish yourself?"

I stared at Makarov and then looked back at his hand. Then I looked at Finn and Tu-Chi and this time Finn responded with a smile and a simple nod as if he was telling me to go for it.

Then after thinking about it for a minute or so, I made my decision.

* * *

 **NO POV**

At the Fairy Tail guild hall, everyone was going about their usual way. Whether it was brawling, drinking, or even looking or coming back from a job. Natsu and the others were having a drink with some of the other guild members and Mira was working hard serving drinks.

"Hey Mira! Another drink please!" called out a member.

"Be right with you!" smiled Mira.

"Man, Mira's working as hard as ever," said Gray.

"No kidding," said Lucy. "Still makes me wonder how she does it."

"It's not really that hard once you get the gist of it," said Erza. "I've personally taken a fancy to it myself back when we worked for Yajima."

"I wondering if Mira's tried any of the food she makes here," said Natsu. "I would taken the job myself if it meant I could eat all that found."

"How many times have I have to tell you that you're not supposed to eat the food?!" snapped Lucy. "You'd make a terrible waiter!"

Just then, the doors to the main hall opened and Makarov walked in.

"Hey! Gramps is back," said Natsu.

"Welcome back Master," said Erza. "Did you finish your business?"

"Yes. I have," said Makarov. "In fact..." He then spoke loudly, so that everyone in the guild hall could hear him. "Can I have everyone's attention? I have an announcement to make."

Everyone who was present immediately stopped and paid attention to the old man.

"Now listen up, I bring you tidings of good news," spoke Makarov. "Wendy and Carla were recently made new members of the guild as you recall, but now we have another new member joining our guild. However, I should warn you that this person has been through hell and was on the brink of losing himself entirely," continued Makarov. "But this person was able to overcome the darkness of his past and has decided to walk the path towards a brighter future. This person is also someone you all might recognize, so it may come as a shock to you, but I expect you kids to give our newest member a big Fairy Tail welcome."

Everyone in the guild was surprised and even a little excited wondering who the newest member was.

"I wonder who it could be?" wondered Lucy. "I don't think anyone really comes to mind."

"I haven't the slightest clue either," said Erza. "You're guess is about as good as mine."

"I just hope he's really strong, so I can fight em!" said Natsu eagerly.

"Is fighting all you think about?" sighed Gray. "Simmer down will you?"

"Alright then," said Makarov. "It's time for you kids to meet our newest member. Come on in!"

Then a single person walked through the front doors and into the guild hall. Upon seeing the person, everyone was shocked. Wakaba and Macao who were drinking from their mugs dropped them with a clatter. Natsu and his group's eyes were wide as well their mouths hanging open. When Elfman saw who it was, his eyes were went wide as saucers and at the same time began filling with tears as he also began to tremble. Then Mira walked in with carrying another order with a tray.

"Hey you guys," she said. "What's everyone looking..."

Mira's voice then trailed off when she saw the reason why everyone was so shocked and frozen. Her bright blue eyes widened as she dropped her tray in making the all of the glasses of drink fall to the floor with a crash. Her eyes also began to fill with tears until they were streaming down her face as she clasped her hands over her mouth.

"No... no way... " she choked. "Is... is this a dream...?"

"It... can't be..." murmured Elfman. "It... it's not possible..."

"Allow me to introduce, the newest member of the guild," continued Makarov. "Willy Falconer!"

* * *

 _Willy walks through the doors of Fairy Tail having to be the newest member!  
_

 _Be sure to leave a review or a fav!_

 _Dragoman out!_


	60. Chapter 60 Reunion

_Hey everyone! Here's the next update!_

 _I really appreciate the reviews, so keep em up!_

 _Happy reading!_

* * *

Chapter 60

Reunion

 **WILLY'S POV  
**

As I walked into the guild hall, I felt dreadfully nervous. I felt so scared of how everyone was going to react or feel as soon as they saw me, but I felt on walking until I stood inside. I saw that everyone was staring at me in either utter disbelief or shock.

"Willy! It's you!"

I heard a voice causing me to turn my attention to my right and I saw Natsu and the others. I then heard someone running towards me. Next thing I knew, I felt someone tackle at me giving me a big hug in the process. I looked down to see a girl with familiar head of long blue hair crying while burying her face into my midsection. It take me long to realize who this girl was.

"W-wendy!" I murmured feeling a bit off guard.

"I knew you'd come back!" Wendy said hugging me tighter. "I just knew you would!"

Then Natsu, Gray, and Erza came rushing up to me.

"Willly! You're finally back!"

"Alright! I knew you'd come back!"

"We've been worried about you!"

Soon enough, some of the other members came rushing up too. Macao, Wakaba, and Reedus I recognized even though they changed slightly. As I looked around the room, my eyes fell on someone in particular. He was big and muscular, had spiky gray hair, had a line of stitches just below his right eye. He was trembling and his eyes were on the brink of erupting with tears.

At first, I didn't know who it was, but then my heart stopped. For right when I looked in his eyes, I knew immediately who this man was. Not only that, I saw a girl standing next to him who was staring at me with wide blue eyes with tears streaming down her face wearing a cute red dress. I recognized her as well. They may have looked completely different, but I knew exactly who those two were.

I began having flashbacks to back when I was once a kid, remembering the good times when I played with these two people. Those flashbacks alone made my heart throb and adrenaline surge through my veins. I slowly walked forward away from the others not taking my eyes off of them. After an pause that seemed to be like forever, I finally mustered up the courage to speak.

"E-elfman...? M-mira...? Is... is it really you guys?" you said my voice cracking and my eyes beginning to fill with tears.

Then Mira not being able to take anymore immediately took off coming straight for me with Elfman following behind her.

"WILLY!" they both screamed in sobbing voices.

I then took off running and went straight towards them my eyes now streaming with tears. "ELFMAN! MIRA!" I screamed.

The three of us grew closer and closer until we met each other halfway. Mira jumped wrapping her arms around my neck and embracing me in a tight hug while I hugged back wrapping my arms around her tightly. Elfman also joined in making this a tearful three-way. The three of us now were sobbing letting loose tears of joy.

"Willy's back! He's really back!" wept Elfman. "I can't believe after all these years, he's came back! Willy's finally come back to us!"

"I always knew... I never stopped praying... I never stopped believing that you would come back!" sobbed Mira. "All these years we've waited... we've waited for you to come back..."

"I'm so sorry!" I cried as I buried my face in Mira's shoulder. "I'm so sorry that I left you guys alone over the past years! I wanted to come back! Really I did!"

"It's alright... It's OK... You're back now... That's all that matters..." sniffed Mira. "Even if it took you six years... you came back. And you kept your promise..."

My heart throbbed with emotion as I hugged Mira even tighter and cried even harder. Everyone else who was happy and emotional seeing us joined in on the sob party.

This went on for a couple of minutes until we ran out of tears to cry. Then I told everyone what happened to me during the six years. From when I was at the Bureau to when I was locked up with the Magic Council. When I finished my story, everyone couldn't believe what I had went through.

"So you were alive all this time?!" exclaimed Wakaba.

"And you were locked up at a Magic Council Branch?!" gasped Macao. "And they let you go?!"

"Yeah. I know it sounds a bit crazy, but it's true," I said."I personally didn't think that they'd really let me go given the circumstances."

"Well, we're glad to see you're alright," said Erza. "We've been worried."

"I'm just sorry that I couldn't come back sooner," I said. "I missed you all so much... and I wanted to see you all so badly."

"We missed you too," said Mira. "We always kept hoping that you would come back."

"And don't worry about what happened," said Gray. "You're back now. That's all that really matters."

"That's right! And you're staying with us whether you like it or not!" grinned Natsu.

"Aye sir!" agreed Happy.

My eyes may have been puffy from the crying, but I couldn't help but smile from cheek to cheek. "Thanks you guys... That means so much... I don't deserve so much kindness..."

"You're wrong about that, Willy," said Makarov. "You do deserve it and more. In fact, today we will not only celebrate you finally joining our family, but for your safe return."

Then I felt something around my neck causing me to look at my chest. I looked and I gasped. Around my neck was the necklace that was given to me by Aquadia of which I have given to Mira to hold on to.

"My... my necklace..." I whispered feeling my lip tremble. "You..."

"I've kept it with me the whole time," said Mira. "I've been waiting to return this to you...now... I can finally give it back to you... Welcome home..."

"WELCOME HOME, WILLY!" the guild cheered.

I couldn't help, but feel my eyes well up with tears again. I felt so happy and touched right now. It felt like nothing could spoil this moment.

Then Makarov yelled in a happy whoop. "Alright everyone! Listen up! Willy Falconer's our newest member and has come back to us! Today we celebrate! Let's show Willy how we welcome our new members!"

"YEAH!"

Everyone let out a chorus of loud cheers as the party celebrating my return as well as joining Fairy Tail began. The party went on all day and all night. I had to admit, I've never been to a party as crazy as that one. In fact, this was the first party I've ever been to. Everyone drank, ate, and had the time of their lives. At some point, a couple of brawls started to break out, but everyone kept on partying without a care in the world. I personally had a lot of fun, although I had to avoid drinking and apparently flying furniture and bodies. It was the best night of my life because I was not only reunited with Mira and Elfman, but I was also a part of a family. A family that I prayed I wouldn't loose any time soon.

* * *

 **NO POV**

Outside of the guildhall by the doors, Tu-Chi and Finn were watching the party unfold.

"Seems like they're already celebrating," said Finn.

"Well, Makarov and his guild are well known to be party animals," chuckled Tu-Chi. "I wouldn't expect anything less." Then she looked at Finn. "You don't mind Willy staying here?"

"No. Not really," said Finn. "Willy belongs here. I think he'd be much happier being with a guild surrounded by his friends. Besides, Makarov treats everyone of his members like they were his own children. I can't think of anywhere else for him to be."

Tu-Chi smiled. "I agree."

Finn then looked back inside of the guild seeing how everyone was partying and having fun. His smile then changed into a worried frown.

"Master, there is one thing I'm worried about," he said. "Do you think it was a good idea to tell Willy about... you know."

Tu-Chi hummed deep in thought. "Yes, but at the same time it isn't," she said. "This is something Willy had to know and now he knows. He suffered even more pain than what he experienced before, but for now, let him be. All he needs right now is to be with his friends. Let him celebrate his return with his new family."

"...I suppose you're right," said Finn.

Then he as well as Tu-Chi walked away. As they did, Finn couldn't help but look back.

"It's been two years since it happened," he thought to himself. "I just can't believe it happened to her." He then looked up towards the sky. "Those kids... I hope that what happened to her doesn't drive them apart or something."

The two then took flight and disappeared into the clouds in the sky.

* * *

Not too far away inside of the guild hall, a lone young man stood in the upper balcony observing the party going on below. He wore a blue cloak on top of a strange outfit that was the same color with strange wooden staves on his back. He also had bandages on his arms and legs and wore gloves, had a dark blue bandana with a silver headband, and had a green mask that hid the bottom half of his face.

As he watched everyone in Fairy Tail party it up, he happened to see a certain someone who was having the time of his life. He watched the boy have fun with his guild mate for a while as if he was analyzing him, then he walked away disappearing into the air.

* * *

 **WILLY'S POV**

"Alright then. Here you go," said Mira as she placed a stamp on my left forearm making a dark blue Fairy Tail glyph appear on it. "You're now an official member of the Fairy Tail guild."

I looked at the symbol on my hand feeling a slight sense of pride. "Thank you so much, Mira," I said. "I guess it's official now huh?"

"That's right!" said Elfman grinning. "You're a Fairy Tail wizard! Like a real man!"

I couldn't help, but chuckle. It had been a couple days since the big party welcoming me to the guild. So today, I figured I'd take the plunge and finally get stamped. It really felt like I was a part of this guild now. Too bad it only took me a couple years to join. It also made me wish that Lisanna was around to see how much the guild has changed, not mention that I missed her a lot and that made me feel a little sad.

"Hey. Willy? Are you OK?" asked Elfman. "You look sad now."

I quickly shook my head and smiled trying to hide my sadness. "It's nothing Elfman," I replied. "I was just thinking about some stuff."

"You were thinking about Lisanna weren't you?" asked Mira.

Her sudden question made me and Elfman look at her a bit surprised. She was right, but I didn't expect you to read me like that. I couldn't help, but nod.

"I'm sorry. I know I probably shouldn't be talking about her, but... I can't help it," I said clenching my fist. "Not only do I miss her, but I feel like I should've been there for her back then. If I wasn't under that spell, Lisanna would be..."

Then Elfman cut me off. "Willy. Let me tell you something that Lisanna told me and Mira," he said. "She said that all living things die even thought it makes us sad. However, Lisanna will continue to live on in our hearts as long as we remember her. We have to live life for her and promise that we'll never forget her."

I looked at Elfman in surprise and feeling somewhat amazed by his words. It also made me forget about my sadness somewhat and felt better. "W-wow Elfman. That... actually sounded kinda cool."

Elfman smiled. "Of course it did. Because I'm a real man."

Me and Mira couldn't help, but laugh.

"Man Elfman. You sure have changed a lot the last time I saw you," I said. "And not just him, you've changed a lot too, Mira."

"Oh? How do you think?" asked Mira innocently.

"Well for one thing, you're don't look like a punk anymore," I told her. "Not to mention you're way more nicer now."

"Well it has been six years, so of course me and Elfman have changed and even matured slightly," said Mira. "But we're still the same people you grew up with six years ago."

"And it's not just you guys that changed a lot," I said as I looked around. "Everyone else as well as the guild hall changed a lot too. There's so many questions that I wanna know about what happened. Like for starters, how did the guild hall get so big?"

"It's quite a long story," said Mira. "But I'll try my best to keep it brief. Basically we went to war with Phantom Lord and they kinda destroyed our guild hall."

"Kinda? More like obliterated," said Elfman. "There wasn't much of the guild after Gajeel destroyed it."

"Wait... Gajeel? Who's that?" I asked.

"He was a guy that was once a member of Phantom Lord," said Elfman. "He used to be an enemy, but master invited him to Fairy Tail and he became a member."

"What?! You had an enemy join Fairy Tail?!" I exclaimed. "You're kidding!"

"Nope. It's true," said Mira. "And it wasn't just him that joined the guild, Juvia did as well."

"That's a bit surprising. I knew Master Makarov was kind, but I didn't think he'd take in two wizards that were once his enemies," I said. "Then again he took me in as well. Wow... he really is quite the interesting master."

"Yup. He's a real man," commented Elfman.

Then a couple guildmates that I haven't seen for a long time came up to us, Levy and Cana. Levy had hardly changed a bit. They only changes she went through the past six years was her hair was a little longer than before. Cana however went under a lot of changes. Her hair was way longer than before and she was... a little more curvier than before. Not to mention that she reeked of booze for some reason.

"Hey there, Willy," said Levy. "Nice to see you!"

"Levy. Cana. Good to see you two as well," I greeted.

"So you're finally a member of Fairy Tail huh? About time," grinned Cana. "I was wondering when you were gonna join the guild."

"Yeah... well better late than never," I said sheepishly. "I can see that you've changed a bit Cana."

"Sure I have. It's been six years after all," smiled Cana. "What? You checking me out? Blown away by my good looks?"

"Not... really," I replied.

"Listen up everyone!" said a voice. "I have an announcement to make!"

Hearing the voice, I turned my attention towards the bar and saw that Makarov standing on top of the counter.

"Heed my words, friends. If you fancy yourself a member of this guild as well as a wizard, you must tone your skills day and night, train, and perform their jobs capably to earn their keep," he continued. "While many of your days will be sunny, there will be days were they will be clouded with hardship, peace and prosperity, tempered by tragedy and heartbreak. However, I have faith that we can fight through as long as we have each other even in the darkest of days. Know that you're not just surrounded by co-workers, but by an enduring and loving family!" He then held up his hand with his thumb and finger pointing upwards. "Together we are one! That's what being a Fairy Tail wizard is all about!"

Everyone cheered while performing the same hand sign as Makarov was doing. I couldn't help, but smile feeling moved as well as inspired.

Makarov smiled with pride. "I couldn't be more proud of you kids of what you all accomplished in the last year, so to commemorate your hard work and diligence," He then looked very excited and elated. "A few days from now, we will be holding the highly anticipated flower viewing party!"

Everyone in the guild cheered once again with excitement. I however was a little puzzled.

"Flower viewing party?" I repeated. "What's Master talking about?"

"Oh. You just recently joined, so it's expected that you wouldn't know," said Levy. "Right now, it's the blooming season of the cherry blossoms here, so the guild's taking a break. You can still go on jobs and such, but there's a lot less jobs due to people aware of our break period though."

"I see," I said thoughtfully. "Sounds pretty interesting. Well... I suppose I should try to find a job. I mean I should start earning some jewel, so I can get a place to stay and such."

"Why don't you just stay in the boys dorms?" asked Elfman. "I mean the Master allowed you to sleep there."

"That may be so, but I can't stay there forever," I said shaking. "For one thing, Master Makarov made an exception for a couple days because I was new and I didn't have a place to live. Plus, I heard the jewel price is pretty high there. I appreciate his generosity, but I can't keep getting the special treatment forever. I gotta stand on my own two feet and find a place to live on my own."

"Maybe you can find a place in an apartment," suggested Levy. "Like Luce. She lives in one that costs about seventy-thousand jewel."

"Or maybe you can room with someone else in town," said Cana. "There's a couple of guild members that are living somewhere in town."

I hummed trying to think of what to do, but then I heard some people come through the doors. It was Natsu and Lucy. When they saw me, they immediately came up to me.

"Hey Willy! How's it going?" asked Lucy.

"It's going fine, Lucy. Thank you for asking," I replied.

"Hey Willy. Good thing you're here," said Natsu. "There's something I wanna talk to you about."

"Something to talk to me about?" I wondered. "What's up?"

"Do you remember the promise you made to me back when we were kids?" asked Natsu. "You know back when you were sick and stuff."

I thought back and I could well remember what Natsu meant. I smirked upon remembering having an idea what Natsu was getting at or was wanting.

"Yes. I remember that," I said. "Let me guess, you want to have that rematch. Am I right?"

Natsu was surprised. "Wait, how did you know that?!" he cried. "Are you a mind reader or something?!"

"Not really," I replied. "Just a hunch. Besides, I kinda figured that you would ask me about that promise sooner or later as soon as I joined Fairy Tail. Didn't expect it to be today though."

"Hold on, you actually promised to fight Natsu?!" gasped Lucy. "You can't be serious!"

"Of course," said Mira. "In fact back in those days, Natsu would train nonstop just so he could get ready for his rematch with Willy. Not to mention he kept on bragging on how much he was gonna beat him."

"Well that's typical," sighed Cana. "That's Natsu for you."

"Well the two of them are dragon slayers," said Levy. "Not to mention that I was there when Willy made that promise."

"And you're really gonna go through with it?" Lucy asked me.

"Of course he is," grinned Elfman. "If he and Natsu were real men, they have to duke it out."

"I don't know Elfman," I said. "I mean... it has been a while since I've actually used my magic. I'm worried I might have become rusty."

"Well think of it as an opportunity to see if you're not," smiled Mira. "A sparring session with Natsu will be a good way to get back on track of your fighting."

"So what do you say, Willy?" asked Natsu. "We gonna have a rematch or not?"

I pondered. It had been a while since I used my magic since I woke up. This would be a good opportunity to see if my magic power had diminished was the same as before since I've got out. Plus it would be a good chance to see how much Natsu had grown over the past six years. I looked back at him and I flashed a smile.

"Sure. I accept your challenge Natsu."

Natsu grinned back his fist igniting on fire. "Alright! I'm all fired up now!"

* * *

 _Since we're back into the Fairy Tail anime in this story, I'm thinking of starting with the Daphne Arc.  
_

 _If you guys have any ideas or pointers, feel free to pp me._

 _Until then..._

 _Dragoman out!_


	61. Chapter 61 Willy vs Natsu

_Here's the next chapter everyone!_

 _For this one, I'm hoping this will answer some questions regarding how strong Willy as well as the Lisanna situation._

 _I would also like to say that I'm changing my days for updating my stories. I am now going to upload at least once a week instead of Friday._

 _Till then, enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter 61

Willy vs Natsu

The word of Willy and Natsu's fight soon spread throughout the guild like wildfire. Everyone became very excited and were all wanting to see who would win. All of the guild members gathered outside of the guild ready to watch the fight. And it wasn't just the guild members that were excited about the fight, a couple of the townspeople who were in the area were wanting to see the fight as well. Soon, a large crowd had surrounded the two combatants wanting to see the show.

"Fight! Fight! Fight!" they cheered.

"Knock em dead, Natsu!" yelled a male guild member.

"Come on, Willy! You can do it!" cried a female member. "Show em what you're made of!"

"Oh man. I still hate it when you guys pick sides when it comes to things like this," said Lucy. "I don't like seeing other guild members fight and I don't want either of those two to lose."

"Come on Lucy, where's your spirit?" said Gray. "Besides, it's gonna be a good fight. Plus, it's not like it's gonna rip them apart or something. It's all in good fun."

"Mira? Elfman? Surely you two are feeling a little worried about this?" Lucy asked turning to them.

"I'm not worried about it," said Elfman. "I'd say let them go at it. I'm psyched to see how this will turn out, especially since Willy's cured from his condition."

"I'm feeling a little excited about this myself," said Mira. "But I am worried about it as well. However, I'm sure Willy will be just fine. Plus, it'll be a good opportunity to see how Willy stacks up in the guild."

"How he stacks up? What do you mean by that?" asked Lucy.

"She means think of it as an opportunity to see Willy's current combat ability, Lucy," explained Erza. "It's been six years since a few of us had seen Willy fight and since Willy had been under that spell that was controlling him. Only a few of us had seen him fight firsthand while most of the other members like you and Wendy have yet to see how Willy fights at all. Not to mention that Willy was very sickly due to the overwhelming magic he had in his body. This fight will be beneficial because it will show how far Willy has come and how his fighting ability is."

"I get it," said Lucy nodding, but she felt felt uneasy. "But I'm really hoping that Natsu and Willy won't demolish the town."

"It does make you wonder though," said Happy. "Who do you guys think is gonna win?"

"I know who I'm placing my bet on," said Elfman. "Willy by a long shot."

"To be honest, I don't know who to root for on this one," said Mira. "So, I'm gonna root for both of them." She took a deep breath and called out. "Do your best, Willy! Do your best, Natsu!"

* * *

 **WILLY'S POV**

I was doing various stretching exercises in preparation of my fight with Natsu. I first started with my legs and then stretched my arms. It had been a while since I've fought. Well... as myself at least when it came to fighting. Normally I would turn down a fight from Natsu, but this was a good chance to see how my magic was since... well since I was a puppet to one of the biggest dark guilds in the Baram Alliance.

However, there was a bright side to it. My condition with my magic power has been fixed and I was ready to use my magic and see what I can do. And what better way than to use it to spar with Natsu. I was a little nervous praying that I won't get a fever from fighting, but at the same time I was feeling a little excited eager to see how I would fare.

"Hope you ready for a beat down Willy," I heard Natsu say. "Because today I'm gonna win!"

I looked up at Natsu and then took a fighting stance. "You sure seem confident Natsu, but don't think that I'm gonna be taking it easy on you," I said. "Because unlike before, there isn't gonna be any sand to make your sneak attacks."

Natsu pouted in annoyance. "I was just a little kid back then, but this time is gonna be different! This time, I'm gonna beat you using no sneak attacks!" He then punched his hands together as they burst into flames. "Cause my fists and flames are all I'm gonna need!"

"Not if my water has anything to say about it," I shot back. "You do realize that one blast of my water magic, your flames are gonna be rendered useless, right?"

"That's what you think!" grinned Natsu. "My flames can take and burn anything even your water!"

Then Makarov stepped up who just so happened to be refereeing our fight. "I think that's enough talk for now," he said. "First to land a blow is the winner!"

There was a long silence. Everyone around us was quiet as a mouse. Then Makarov raised his hand and brought it down.

"Begin!"

Natsu immediately shot forward and swung a fist coated in flames aiming right for my face. Reacting immediately, I tilted my head to the right making his fist narrowly miss me. At the same time, I cloaked my fist with water and retaliated with a punch of my own and swung back at him, but Natsu ducked and then attacked with an upwards kick narrowly missing my cheek causing me to step back. Natsu then jumped up and came at me with a downwards kick while he was midair.

"FIRE DRAGON TALON!"

I brought my hand up and blocked the blow just before it hit me. I then pushed the fire dragon slayer away forcing him back. My hand was now slightly singed from the attack, but it didn't hurt.

"Not too shabby Natsu," I said smirking. "But try this on for size! WATER DRAGON WING ATTACK!"

I cloaked my hands with water making them shoot into large streams and swung my arms unleashing shockwaves of water at him. Natsu immediately reacted running straight towards them and ducking out of the way just before the attack hit him. He then chuffed his cheeks and then unleashed a large burst of flames from his mouth.

"WATER DRAGON GEYSER WALL!"

Seeing that it was his Fire Dragon Roar, I immediately punched into the ground and defended. A burst of water erupted from the ground in front of me and turned into a wall. Then when the flames made contact with the wall, a huge cloud of steam erupted from the collision.

I was blinded not being able to see with my Geyser Wall being my only shield.

"Damn it," I thought. "Not again!"

* * *

 **NO POV**

Steam billowed everywhere making it difficult to see. Everyone could hardly see anything.

"Geez! This steam is so thick, I can't see anything!" complained Lucy.

"Natsu's flames were so intense that it caused a reaction therefore creating the steam," said Erza.

"Wait a minute..." said Elfman. "This seems familiar..."

"Yes. It is," said Mira. "This is pretty much the same thing that Natsu pulled the last time he and Willy fought."

"You mean the old smokescreen tactic he used to land a blow?" asked Gray. "Oh come on. Is he really gonna try that attack again?"

"Oh come on, this is Natsu we're talking about," said Happy shrugging. "He isn't exactly the kind of guy to think of a plan. Besides, he can't even see himself."

"That may be so Happy, but you forgot one thing," said Erza. "Natsu has others senses can use to make up for his loss of sight."

Sure enough from the cloud of steam someone came bursting out of the cloud and into the air. That someone was Natsu who had now had a predatory smile on his face. His nose was flaring as he took a sniff.

"I got you now, Willy!" he crowed and divebombed straight towards the ground igniting his fist on fire. "FIRE DRAGON IRON FIST!"

He disappeared in the steam cloud and then a large boom shook the area. Then Lucy realized.

"I almost forgot! His sense of smell," she said. "Natsu practically has the nose of a blood hound and he can smell anyone a mile away. Even if he can't see."

"And he used that nose of his to smell where Willy was, so he could get the drop on him," said Macao. "I gotta say, that's a pretty smart move."

"But did he get Willy though?" asked Wakaba.

Then the steam began to clear. When it did, a startling surprise revealed itself. Willy was still standing holding a very surprised Natsu by the fist.

"No way!" cried Macao and Wakaba.

"He blocked the attack?!" gasped Lucy.

* * *

 **WILLY'S POV**

I was still standing and still holding onto Natsu's fist having to have blocked the blow. That was way too close for comfort. If hadn't used my Aqua Sense to see where Natsu was coming from, Natsu would have gotten me with another sneak attack just like before. I looked up at Natsu and smirked.

"Nice try Natsu, but I ain't falling for the same trick twice," I said. "It's gonna take a lot more than an attack like that to bring me down."

I then threw Natsu away from me causing him to land on his land a few feet away from me. He then looked back up at me with a surprised look on his face.

"How the heck did you do that?!" he exclaimed. "That attack should have hit you!"

"Sorry, but that's a secret," I said shaking my right hand trying to get the feeling back to it. "Let's just say that I was able to sense your attack coming, so I was able to block your attack. I will admit that your Iron Fist had a lot of power and force, but you're gonna have to try a little better than that."

The fire dragon slayer scowled, but that scowl was replaced with a smile.

"Now this is what I'm talking about," he said. "This is what I've been wanting for all this time. This is the kind of fight I've been wanting to have with you when you came back. You're really strong. But now... I think it's time for me to stop holding back and get serious."

His fists once more burst into flames looking to be more intense than before.

"Oh boy. Looks like Natsu's getting ready to go all out!" I heard Happy say.

"Now things'll get good!" Gray spoke.

"Getting ready to go all out?" I thought to myself. "So Natsu's been holding back eh? Then I suppose it's time for me to stop pulling my punches too."

I took a deep breath and relaxed. Then I held out my hands and a pair of water swords materialized from my hands. I skillfully spun them around and I held them both at my sides taking a stance.

"WATER DRAGON DOUBLE BLADE!"

The two of us stood there waiting for one of us to make a move. Then the two of us charged straight at each other letting out a yell in the process. The two of attacked each other me slashing and Natsu punching at incredible speeds. The flames felt hotter and they felt more intense than before, but it was nothing I couldn't handle by dodging.

The two of us kept on dodging and attacking each other until finally the two of us came at each other once again and collided with attacks sending a force of wind flowing from the area. The two of us landed a few feet away from each other with our backs turned to us. A few seconds had passed, then Natsu groaned a little and held his side meaning that I managed to land a blow on him.

"Don't worry Natsu," I said. "I only struck you with the blunt side of the blade, so the damage would be minimal."

"This match is over!" called out Makarov. "Willy is the winner!"

A few seconds of silence passed, then everyone cheered. Some of the people in the crowd were thrilled by the fight while others were completely surprised by what they just seen.

"Holy crap! He actually beat Natsu!" I heard Wakaba say.

"I'm seeing it, but I can't believe it!" said Macao.

Gray, Mira, Elfman, and a few other guild members immediately came up to me.

"Way to go Willy! You won!" grinned Elfman. "Just like a real man!"

"Well... the fight was a bit boring, but I'm glad Willy won," said Gray.

"That's our Willy for you," smiled Mira. "It seems your magic is back to normal like before."

"Thanks you guys," I said. "To be perfectly honest, I thought I was gonna lose."

I then turned towards Natsu who was staring at me in disbelief. He then started walking towards me. At first I was worried about him being upset, but then his look of disbelief changed into a wide grin.

"Oh crap! Nice one Willy!" he said. "You really got me that time!"

"You're not upset about losing?" I asked feeling surprised.

"No. In fact, that was awesome the way you whipped out your swords like that!" said Natsu excitedly. "You gotta teach me how to do that!"

"Um... I don't see that happening," I said sweatdropping. "My Water Dragon Double Blade is a spell only I can use so..."

"Oh come on! You gotta teach me man!" said Natsu excitedly. "Just think of it, if I can wield fire swords, I can be a ninja just like you!"

I could only laugh as Natsu continued to beg me to teach him. I must admit, he had gotten a lot stronger over the course of the years, but he was still he same old kid who I saw six years ago. Then Erza came up.

"It would seem that your magic is alright now," she said. "Well done."

"Thank you Erza," I said politely bowing. "I wasn't sure that I would win to be honest."

"Well I must say you certainly possess skill," said Erza. "Not everyone has the skill to take on Natsu and land a blow on him."

"Hey! Come on Erza! Give me some credit!" snapped Natsu indignantly.

Erza narrowed her eyes giving Natsu a slight glare. "You say something Natsu?"

Natsu immediately apologized. "N-nothing ma'am! Please excuse my behavior!"

Erza then turned back towards me. "Anyway I wanted to know, can you still fight?"

"Well, I still got a lot of magic power left," I said. "So I suppose so. Why do you ask?"

"Because I want to spar with you," said Erza.

"WHAT?!"

Everyone stared at the redhead in surprise. Elfman and Mira were especially surprised.

"Wait... Erza!? You want to fight Willy?!" exclaimed Mira. "But why?"

"To be honest, I'm not really sure," said Erza. "Probably because I've gotten a little excited just like Natsu. I'm interested in seeing Willy's potential as a wizard and what better way than to have him go up against me. Plus, I've taken quite a liking to the swords he has.

Elfman and Mira appeared to be a little worried along with a few other people in the guild. However, others were a little interested in seeing this match-up happen. I personally didn't think that I would hear such a challenge from Erza. It did made me a bit worried due to Erza probably being so much stronger than me, but she was right. It would be a great opportunity to see how I would stack up against her, especially since that she was a swordsman like me.

"If that's what you would like Erza, I'll be happy to accept your challenge," I said smiling. "Let's fight."

"Willy?! Are you insane?!" cried Happy. "Erza's gonna mop the floor with you!"

Natsu and Gray nodded their head furiously with agreement, their faces paling with fear.

"Willy! Please! Don't do it!" said Natsu fearfully. "Walk away now before it's too late!"

"If you go through with it, Erza's gonna kill you and hang your head over her fireplace!" said Gray. "Trust me man! You don't wanna go through with this fight!"

"You do realize Erza can hear you right?" deadpanned Lucy.

"Oh come on you guys, it's fine," I said. "I'll be fine. Besides, I wanna see how I stack up with Erza. I've always wanted to take her on since she's a fellow swordsman like me. It'll be a great way to see how strong she is."

Soon enough, me and Erza stood in front of each other ready to fight each other. The crowd looked on eagerly waiting for the fight commence. I did my stretches once again and prepared to fight. As I did, I assessed the opponent of who I was facing.

"I really don't know anything much about Erza considering that I can hardly remember seeing her fight," I thought to myself. "The only thing that I do know is that she's excellent with swords and she can use some kind of magic to change her armor. Not to mention that I was told that she's of the most powerful members in the guild and an S class wizard no less. If that's true, then I better not let my guard down."

"You ready Willy?" called out Erza. "I want to show me what you can do! Don't hold anything back, got it?"

"Sure thing Erza," I called back. "I'll give you everything I got!"

Erza smiled. "Good. And just for you, here's something special that I've been saving for an occasion like this one. Hope you enjoy."

Her body then began to glow in a bright light and in a burst of magic with a dark pink magic circle briefly appearing, her armor changed. She was now wearing armor that had a green breastplate that looked like seaweed and revealed a lot of her chest with some chains hanging on it and also was linked to strange, blue, finned, metal shoulder pads called pauldrons. She also had gauntlets cover that covered her forearms exposing her biceps and had elbow guards ornament that looked like seashells. Her bottom half was a dark bikini, and a long cloth, with its edges yet again reminiscent of fins, circles her waist on the back and the sides, being connected to the shorts by a pair of fasteners shaped like sea stars. She also had greaves that extended up to her knees with a pair of boots to match having fins on them. Finally, she had a piece of headgear which had large metal part covering her forehead, bearing a whirl-shaped wave on it, and large fin-shaped protrusions on the sides of her head. She also was holding a sword that was teal green with blue lines on it that ran along the middle and symmetrical fins on the hilt with a blue jewel in the middle.

As soon as I saw it, my eyes couldn't help, but widen not just from the weirdness of it, but also how revealing it looked on her.

"What... what the heck is she wearing?" I asked incredulously.

"This is my Sea Empress Armor," explained Erza. "It has the power to make your water based magic and attacks less than effective against me."

"Come on Erza. At least go easy on him a little," I heard Macao call.

"Yeah. Don't make the kid regret it by knocking him out in a few seconds either!" Wakaba called.

I now was a feeling a tad unsure, but I wasn't about to back down from this fight. I held out my hands and summoned my water swords. I then showed Erza a little courtesy as a fellow swordsman like how I was taught by Tu-chi. I got down on one knee and placed my fist with a sword in front of me.

"Ongai Shimasu," I said.

Erza then smiled with and bowed politely herself. "It's a pleasure to face you as well," she said.

I then stood up and took my stance with my swords and Erza pointed her sword at me taking her stance as well. A few seconds seemed to pass neither one of us making a move. Then as the wind blew a single leaf began to fall. It slowly fluttered about in the wind as it slowly descended to the ground. Then as soon as the leaf touched the ground, I immediately gunned straight for Erza swing both my swords. Erza readied her sword and preparing to attack or defend. Then the two of us swiped and swung our swords in an incredible and rapid speed. The sounds of metal clanging was heard again and again as our swords collided.

Then I gave my swords a mighty swing letting loose a loud yell, but Erza brought up her sword just in time to block my attack. The force of our swords colliding sent me skidding backwards and it took only a few seconds for me to come to a stop. My arms were trembling a little and even aching slightly.

"Damn it. She's good," I thought to myself. "Not just at defending, but attack too. In fact, every single one of her blows felt heavy like she's has weights on our something. Just how strong is she?"

Then Erza went on the attack. She came straight for me and swung her blade in an incredible speed. I parried and blocked the attacks as best as I could, but Erza's attacks were so fast, I was having a little trouble keeping up. The blows felt more heavy than before and even faster, but I wasn't about to lose here. I immediately jumped up gaining some distance and then I shot water from my feet with the hopes of increasing my speed.

"WATER DRAGON AQUA JET!"

My Aqua Jet propelled me forward helped me move in an incredible speed zipping me around. I was hoping to confuse Erza with my speed and when she let her guard down, I would strike her and win the match. I kept on zipping around and around her then I noticed that Erza wasn't doing anything. She simply stood there not moving. Seeing this as my opening, I landed on the ground and with a mighty shout, I poised my swords and swung aiming for the waist.

What happened next was instantaneous. One minute, I was attacking. The next I felt something hit my swords knocking them clean out of my hands and I felt something hit me square on my cheek sending my sprawling to the ground flat on my face. I lied there stunned for a couple of seconds, then I got back up and held my cheek in pain.

"Ow... Geez that smarts," I complained.

Mira and Elfman then quickly rushed to my side.

"Hey! Willy are you OK?!" asked Mira.

"That was a pretty hard hit that Erza gave you," said Elfman.

"Don't worry. I'm fine," I replied. "It's nothing that I can't handle. But... what the heck just happened? It was so fast, I don't even know what happened."

"You were trying to use your speed to try and confuse me," said Erza who had now changed her armor again reverting back her normal attire. "It was a pretty good tactic, but it was also an obvious one. So I easily countered it and hit you with the hilt of my sword. You should try to be a little more creative and use a lot more than just speed." She then smiled. "Although, I have to admit your blade skills are top notch. I'd expecting nothing less from a disciple of Tu-Chi."

I smiled scratching my cheek feeling embarrassed. "You're just saying that just to be nice Erza," I chuckled. "You're way more skilled than me. Besides, I've gotten a little rusty since we last fought. If anything, you're the one that's top notch in sword skills."

"Alright kids," said Makarov. "I think that's enough for now. What do you say we go inside and have a drink?"

Everyone agreed and we all then went back inside of the guild. As we went inside, I could still feel the aching trembling feeling in my arms. I looked at my hand staring at it and also remembering back to the battles I just fought. As I walked back inside, I happened to pass by a couple of women walking by. I was planning on saying hello, but then they looked away and pretended not to see me.

"Well... that was weird," I murmured.

At first I really didn't think of it that much, but then I noticed that they were whispering to each other and I happened to hear what they were saying.

"Hey. Isn't that the guy who was with the Oración Seis?" asked one.

"Yeah. It is," said the other. "Looks like he joined up with Fairy Tail."

"If you ask me, I think that the guild made a dumb decision letting that guy join," said the first. "I mean the dude's a dark mage."

"No kidding," said the second. "If it was me then I would have turned him down on the spot and called the council. I mean the guy's practically a criminal. Then again the council let him go clearing the charges."

"That doesn't matter to me," said the first. "You watch, it's only a matter of time before that guy betrays Fairy Tail and sells them out to a dark guild."

This made me stop as I felt a twang of guilt go through my body as I clenched my fists and walked into the guild hall pretending not to hear them. I also remembered Midnight's words from before.

 _"...even if you are innocent, the damage has already been done. People will never see you as a good wizard. To them, you're still a dark wizard that served my father."_

"It would seem that there was some truth within Midnight's words," I thought sadly. "People are starting to talk about me already..."

"Hey Willy. Are you OK?"

A familiar voice caused me to jump a little look to my right to see that Lucy standing there.

"Oh. It's nothing Lucy," I replied. "Just thinking about some stuff. What's up?"

"Well, I heard that you're looking for a place to stay," said Lucy. "I wondering if you were still looking for a place to live. If you are, you can always rent an room at the apartment I live in."

"Really? You don't mind having me live there?" I asked.

"Of course I don't," smiled Lucy. "Although, I should warn you that the landlady over there is pretty strict about rent, so if you're planning to live there, you'd better pay. I can show you where it is if you want."

"Sure thing. Thank you, Lucy," I said. "Lead the way."

And so, me and Lucy walked out of the guild together heading towards her apartment with the hopes of getting a room for me to stay in.

* * *

 _If you liked what you read and or want to give me some pointers, be sure to let me know._

 _Until then..._

 _Dragoman out!_


	62. Chapter 62 A Hunting We Will Go

_Next chapter up!_

 _Also, I just wanna say that my follower count has broken the 200 meter!_

 _Thank you all so much! I hope that you will all continue to show your support!_

 _Happy reading!_

* * *

Chapter 62

A Hunting We Will Go

Tomorrow had soon become today. I was lying down fast asleep enjoying sleeping in. Soon enough, I slowly opened my eyes and glanced out of the window which had the morning sun's rays shining through it. I let out a small yawn and then I stretched my arms letting out a satisfying grunt.

"Alright then," I mumbled. "Time for me to get up."

I then got out of my bed and I sleepily made my way to the bathroom, so I could get ready to start my day.

It had been a couple of days since I went with Lucy the apartment she was staying at. She and I spoke with the landlady about renting a room for me and she was more than willing to give me a room. She seemed to be a pretty nice person, but... she did kinda look at me in a strange way for some reason. Not because of my reputation and such, but something else.

Anyway, the room that the landlady gave me was pretty nice. It had a lot of space and the bathroom was pretty sweet. It even had a stove and a fireplace. It was a bit similar to Lucy's, but my room had a few different colors of walls, the walls being blue instead of pink. I had to admit, the place was the perfect home for me. Although I still had to make some money to pay for the rent, so I was planning to go out on a job to get some.

I soon finished getting ready and left my room locking the door. As I headed outside, I happened to walk by Lucy's room. Suddenly, I heard loud yells coming from inside her room.

"Natsu! How many times do I have to tell you to stop breaking into my room?!"

"Oh come on, Lucy! Take it easy would you?"

"Yeah. You could be a little more quieter you know!"

"I'll take it easy when you two stop barging in my room like this!"

From the sound of things, it sounded like Natsu and Happy had somehow gotten into Lucy's room. I know Lucy told me about it before, but I didn't think it was really true.

"Guess Lucy wasn't kidding when she said Natsu and Happy have a habit of getting into her room," I said to myself. "Hopefully no one will do that to me when it comes to my room."

I then left the apartments heading towards the guild hall. I walked along the canal while humming a small little tune. I soon could see the guild hall in sight. I walked through the gates and went through the courtyard where the outside cafe was, filled with lots of people. As I walked by, I noticed that some of the customers were looking at me. When they did, they looked away and began whispering to each other. There was no doubt that they were probably gossiping about me. However, I kept on walking pretending not to notice or hear them walking into the guild hall and headed for the request board. As I walked over to the request board, I noticed that a certain long-haired bluenette and a white cat standing by the board looking at different requests.

"None of them don't really stand out, do they?" asked Carla.

"Hey there Wendy. Carla," I greeted. "I take it you guys are looking for a job to go on as well?"

"Oh hi Willy," said Wendy. "Yes. We are. We just gotten back from one actually and were hoping to go out on another one."

'Well that's good," I said. "It seems that you've gotten the hang of the kind of work the guild does."

"So far she's only taken the smaller low paying jobs around the city," said Carla. "But she could stand to be a little more ambitious."

"Carla! I'm trying!" pouted Wendy.

Then Mira along with Natsu, Gray, Happy, and Lucy came up.

"There's no problem of taking small steps to get experience. It's perfectly normal," said Mira.

"She's right, but you should also try to get into the bigger jobs like we do," said Natsu.

"They're a lot of fun and you'll get to go to all sorts of places," added Gray.

"Yeah. You're right," smiled Wendy. "The sooner I'm able to take on the bigger jobs, the sooner I can be more help to the guild."

I chuckled. "Good for you Wendy. You sure are quite the idealistic girl for you age."

"Lucy can sure take a page or two from book," commented Happy slyly.

Lucy scowled at the blue cat. "Are you saying that I'm not helpful or got no heart?" she growled.

Happy smirked. "Sure is a tough question isn't it?"

"No, it's not, stupid cat!" snapped Lucy angrily. "I'm helpful by inspiring others with my inner and outer beauty."

Happy then laughed mockingly. "Inspiring with your inner and outer beauty? Oh you're helpful alright, by making me laugh when you say stuff like that!"

That was the final straw for Lucy. She immediately began chasing Happy around the guild trying to get her little hands on him. I stared blankly at the two are they went about their chase.

"Um... has Lucy always been that short tempered?" I asked.

"You have no idea man," said Natsu. "You should see her when she's really mad."

"I know. I did hear you guys this morning when you barged in her room," I said. "Maybe you shouldn't do that."

"Aw come on man. Lucy doesn't mind us coming into her room," said Natsu. "Besides, have you slept in her bed before? It's the comfiest thing in the entire world."

"Speaking of which, how is your room over there, Willy?" asked Mira. "Are you settling in OK?"

"Just fine. Thanks for asking, Mira," I replied. "Lucy wasn't kidding about the rooms over there. Mine's pretty nice and everything over there is just perfect. The only problem is the ruckus Natsu, Lucy, and Happy cause when they barge into Lucy's room."

"Well that's to be expected," chuckled Mira. "Natsu always does make a habit of doing that I heard. Hopefully, they won't cause too much of a ruckus for you. Other than that, I'm happy that you found a place to live. However, if you ever decide to come live in the dorms, feel free to let any of us know, OK?"

"I will, Mira," I said. "Till then, I guess I better go out and get a job. The rent's not gonna pay for itself."

I then checked the board looking at all of the of different fliers finding the right one to take. "Man... there sure are a lot of them," I said. "Not even Osia had this many. I suppose Fairy Tail's more popular as a guild than I figured it would be."

I looked and I searched each flier until finally, my eyes stopped on one in particular. I approached it and took a quick read.

 **BANDIT HUNT**

 _The citizens in the town of Shirotsume are being plagued by a gang of bandits and are unable to stop them. Even the Royal Army of the Magic Council who went to search for them were unable to apprehend them. Please help get rid of them! Reward money: 140, 000 jewel._

"Where exactly is Shirotsume?" I wondered.

"I remember that place," said Mira. "That was where Lucy, Natsu, and Happy went for Lucy's first job. It's a village that's in the mountains just past Mount Hakobe."

"Did you find a job that in that location?" asked Gray.

"Sure did. Apparently there's some bandits that are causing trouble over there," I said. "Not even the Magic Council's guards were able to catch them. I'm thinking of taking this one."

"Hold on a sec Willy. You're planning on going all by yourself?" asked Wendy.

"Of course I am," I told her glancing at her. "I used to go on jobs by myself all the time as a kid. Course they were pretty much fishing and other normal jobs. This'll be the first time I've ever done a job like this before as well, but I'm sure I can handle it."

"Hold on a minute. Hunting bandits all by yourself?" wondered Lucy worriedly. "Shouldn't you have someone who with you? Especially since these bandits even were able to avoid the Royal Army."

"Hmm... you do have a point there, Lucy," I said thoughtfully. "But who should I have go with me on this jobi?" I then looked at Mira. "Hey Mira. Would you be willing to go with me on this job?"

"I wish I could Willy, but I have to work at the bar," replied Mira.

"Aw. That's too bad," I replied with a hint of disappointment. "And I can't ask Elfman either because he's out on a job too."

"If you want someone to fight bandits with, I could be your guy," said Natsu punching his fist in his palm. "I'm always looking for some butts to kick."

"I don't think that's a good idea," said Gray. "Unless you want a hothead moron like him burning down everything and docking your pay."

"Watch it, freezy pervert," growled Natsu.

I then thought about who should I take along with me on this job. Then the very person in question came into the guild hall. I then went up to the person in question.

"Hey Erza. How's it going?" I greeted.

"Hello there, Willy," Erza greeted back. "I just came into the guild. Was there something that you needed?"

"Yes. I'm just about to go out on a job dealing with some bandits," I explained. "I was wondering if you wanted to come with me."

"Where is the job located?" asked Erza.

"In Shirotsume," I replied. "It's a bit far, but the reward's pretty big. It should be able to cover me for about two months."

"Sounds like a plan," smiled Erza. "Very well. I'll go with you."

I couldn't help, but smile widely. "Thank you very much." I then turned to Mira. "Hey Mira, me and Erza are gonna take this one. Is this OK with you?"

"O-oh. Yes! Sure," said Mira who sounded a bit awkward. "Let me just sign you both in first."

She then went behind the counter of the bar and got a large brown book with the Fairy Tail insignia on it. She flipped through the pages till she reached one in particular and began writing information on that page. When she was finished, she looked back at us.

"You're all set now," she said. "I'll notify the people who made the request. Come back safely."

"We will. Thank you Mira," I said. Then I turned to Erza. "Well then, I suppose we better get ready to go Erza."

"I agree. I must head to my dorm room and get some things," said Erza with a light smile. "How about we both meet up at Magnolia Station?"

"Sounds good to me," I said. "See you then."

And with that, Erza walked away out of the guild. I took at look at the request again and I smiled.

"I can't wait to get started," I thought to myself. "This'll be a great way to test my skills and a way to make a lot of jewel."

I then took off in a happy sprint heading out of the guild and towards the meeting place.

* * *

 **NO POV**

Mira watched as Willy left the guild setting off to go on his job. She couldn't help, but let out a wistful sigh feeling a little sad. Lucy happened to take notice.

"Is something wrong Mira?" she asked. "You seem kinda down."

"Oh it's nothing, Lucy," replied Mira. "I'm fine."

"You wanted to go with him, didn't you?" asked a voice coming next to her.

Mira slightly jumped and saw that Makarov had suddenly appeared on the counter next to her drinking a mug of beer.

"M-master," she gasped with a hint of surprise.

"It's pretty surprising," said Makarov. "I never pegged you to be the jealous type Mira."

Mira chuckled. "Maybe I am," she said. "I just wanted to go with Willy on his first job as a Fairy Tail wizard, that's all. Plus, I'm a little worried about how he'll fare on this job."

"There will be other opportunities to go with him," said Makarov. "But for now, like you said, you must focus on your job here."

"Alright Master," said Mira.

"And I wouldn't worry about Willy. He'll be fine," said Lucy. "Especially since that Erza's with him. Those two will be fine."

"I suppose so," said Mira. "I just hope that Erza doesn't give Willy too much trouble."

* * *

 **WILLY'S POV**

I soon managed to make my way to the station where Erza wanted us to meet. I didn't see Erza yet, so I decided to wait for her. As I waited, I took a quick look at the request.

"Considering the fact that Shirotsume is in the mountain region close by Mount Hakobe," I thought to myself. "It'll take us a couple of days to get there. I wish it would be easier if I flew there, but using my wings takes some magic power out of me and I want to be in top form when me and Erza fight those bandits. Which means we'll have to use a mode of transportation to get there. Just then, I heard a familiar voice.

"Sorry that I'm late. I hope I haven't kept you waiting long."

"Not at all, Erza. Glad you-"

Then the moment I turned, I stopped mid sentence and my eyes widened in surprise. Erza had arrived all right, but she was pulling along a large wagon filled with various different suitcases stacked up as high as a small house.

"What in the world is all that, Erza?!" I exclaimed. "Does all of that belong to you?"

"Yes indeed," replied Erza. "It's just a few things just in case. Is there some sort of problem?"

"N-no. It's no problem," I said. "I was just surprised that you're carrying so much stuff is all. And I would hardly call that a few for that matter. Anyway, I take it we're gonna take the train to get to Shirotsune?"

"Not exactly," said Erza. "Shirotsune's deep in the mountains just past Mount Hakabe, so we're going to take the train as far as Oshibana, then we'll arrange for a carriage to take us to Shirotsune."

"Sounds like a plan," I said to her. "Shall we get going?"

"Yes. That we shall," replied Erza.

The two of us then boarded the train that was enroute towards Oshibana and both took a seat waiting for the train to depart. As we waited for the train to depart, I noticed that Erza was holding a small book in her hand.

"Hey Erza, I didn't know that you read," I said. "What kind of book is that?"

"I-it's nothing special. Just a romance book," said Erza blushing. "I like read a couple of books every now and again. I'm usually borrow some from Levy."

"Oh yeah! Levy does like to read books!" I said brightly. "I should borrow a couple of books from her sometime if I ever see her again."

"Y-yes. That would be good," said Erza who was still blushing a bit.

I really didn't know why she was blushing. Probably because she was feeling embarrassed for being a bookworm. I didn't really press onto the matter any further as the train finally left the station and we were on our way to our destination.

* * *

We soon arrived at Oshibana and had a carriage arranged to take us to Shirotsune. It was a bit small in size considering that it didn't have its own railway station, but it looked just right for someone wanting to live somewhere in the mountains. It was getting pretty close to evening and was getting a bit chilly, but me and Erza didn't mind.

When we made it into town, we went straight to the mayor's office where the mayor was waiting for us.

"My name is Nadi," said the mayor. "I am quite pleased that you answered my request and I thank you for that."

"Not at all sir," Erza said. "The pleasure is all ours. We'll take care of those bandits for you no problem."

After we spoke with the mayor, Erza and I walked through the Shirotsune heading outside of the town to find the bandits.

"So I take it the bandits are somewhere in the forest outside of town?" I asked.

"Yes. According to what the mayor told us, the bandits have been causing trouble for quite some time now," said Erza. "They steal jewel and valuables and their base has to be somewhere, although I'm not sure where their base could be."

"That shouldn't be too much of a problem to find," I said. "I should be able to track them down using Aqua Sense."

"Aqua Sense? Oh yes. The spell that Tu-Chi taught to sense your targets whereabouts," said Erza. "If I recall correctly, that's the spell you used to stop Natsu before right?"

"As long as they have water in their bodies, I'll be able to sense them," I replied. "Once we get into the forest, I'll be able to track them down in no time."

As we walked through the main road, various townspeople were looking at us. A couple of them pointed at Erza and began whispering excitedly while others looked at me seeming to be irked by what they saw. I was willing to bet that they weren't very pleased to see me. However, I chose to ignore them and focused on the task at hand.

Erza and I were soon walking through the forest. Everywhere we looked, there was nothing, but trees and a couple of animals. So far we could see anything but the bandits. I then placed my palm on the ground and closed my eyes.

"AQUA SENSE."

My body began to glow in a light blue color and a pulse of my magic went through the area. In my mind, I could see nothing, but small blue shapes representing the animals in the area. Then I saw a large blue shape which looked like a wide line meaning that it was a river.

"I don't see any sign of the bandits," I said. "But there's a river just ahead of us. If I can touch that river, my Aqua Sense will be twice as strong and expand my radius."

"Then let's go there then," said Erza.

The two of us ran through the trees around us making our way towards the river. We soon came to the river which was gurgling quietly. I then dipped my hand into the water and used the Aqua Sense once again. My spell went along the river for quite distance and then I saw a waterfall just above the river. That was when I sensed several different shapes just above the waterfall and they were most definitely human like.

"I think I found the bandits," I said straightening up. "They're just down this river and just above the waterfall a few miles away."

"Good work," said Erza. "Let's follow the river until it leads us to the waterfall."

The two of us then ran along the river following it. Finally we heard the sound of crashing water. It was faint at first, but as we grew closer and closer, the sound grew louder and louder. We soon found it.

"That's it," I spoke in a low voice. "That's the waterfall I sensed."

"Do you see the enemy?" asked Erza.

I squinted my eyes looking around very carefully. "Nope. I don't see any bandit in sight," I said. "That's weird. I know that I sensed them in the vicinity."

"The bandit's base must be hidden somewhere around here," said Erza. "Since I don't see their base anywhere around here, there's only one place where the base could be. Inside the waterfall."

I then dipped my hand in the water and used my Aqua Sense again. This time, I could see multiple shapes coming from just behind the waterfall.

"Looks like you were right Erza," I said. "They are hiding behind the waterfall and there seems to be tons of them. They appear to be getting ready to move out."

"Then let's stop them before they have a chance to attack," said Erza. "They'll most likely plan to move out when night falls. We'll make for them to make their move and that's when we'll strike."

"Understood," I acknowledged.

The two of us then hid behind the bushes just close enough to the waterfall, but not too close so we would be seen. And so we waited for nightfall to come. The sun was setting, but it still somewhat day out, so we would be waiting for a while. I then stared at the waterfall waiting for something to happen. A few minutes passed by, then Erza broke the silence.

"So Willy, how are you settling in?" she asked. "Any problems in the guild?"

"No. Not really," I replied. "Everything's going pretty well since I came here."

"How about your apartment?" continued Erza. "I heard that you're now renting a room in the building where Lucy lives."

"Yep. The room is very nice," I replied. "Really cozy and comfortable. Well... with the exception of Natsu and Happy breaking into Lucy's room and causing a ruckus."

"I really must apologize about that," said Erza. "I've told those two constantly to show Lucy a little respect, but to those two, my words fall on deaf ears."

"Well... Lucy tells me that they're not the only ones who break in her room," I said. "She tells me that you and Gray did the same thing a couple of times."

Erza then blushed with embarrassment. "Th-that was different," she said. "That was because I wanted to make sure that she was safe and I had Natsu and Gray come with me just in case."

I raised a brow feeling a bit doubtful, but I decided to drop it not wanting to press any further onto the subject.

Me and Erza continued to sit by the falls waiting. Night soon fell and Erza and I soon heard strange sounds coming from behind the falls.

"They're getting ready to move out," I said.

"Then it's time we make our move as well," said Erza. "Let's go."

I nodded in response as the two of us prepared ourselves for battle ready for whatever the bandits had for us once we attacked.

* * *

 _If you liked what you read or if you want to give me some ideas for my fanfic, don't hesitate to let me know._

 _Dragoman out!_


	63. Chapter 63 A Hunting We Will Go Part 2

_Next chapter up!_

 _Also, I appreciate the reviews a lot you guys! They really help me out. Although some of them were a little... demanding.  
_

 _Enjoy the chapter!_

* * *

Chapter 63

A Hunting We Will Go Part 2

 **NO POV**

The bandits that were hiding inside of the falls sharpening their tools and readying their weapons for their next raid.

"Man, I can't wait to get started," said one. "Wonder what kind of haul we'll get today?"

"Who knows?" said another. "Hopefully it'll be more jewels and gold."

"Forget that," said a third. "I'm tired of getting jewels and stuff. I was hoping when I have a chance, I'll be able to steal a woman tonight."

"Yeah right. Like the boss will let you," said the second. "Especially with his weird taste in women. He'd probably tell you to get rid of the first woman you catch. Besides, we can't start escalating. At least not yet. When we steal enough jewel and stuff from the boss, maybe then we'll get some girls."

"Speaking of the boss, you guys think it's OK to keep trusting that guy?" asked the second. "I mean... I'm glad were able to evade the royal knights for this long, but what if the mayor from Shirotsume calls someone from a guild or something?"

"Quit your worrying. The boss can handle any wizard they throw at us," said the first. "It was thanks to him that we were able to evade even the Royal Knights for this long and he's a wizard that was locked up by the Royal Knights himself."

Then the first one called out to the other bandits. "Alright men! Tonight we go out on the town once again! I want you guys to rob this city blind and make sure that you make the boss proud! You boys got that?!"

The gang of bandits let out a shout in response.

"Good! Then let's move out!" said the first smirking with glee. "Let's rob this town blind!"

* * *

 **NO POV**

"The bandits are on the move," I said to Erza. "Should we strike now?"

"Yes," said Erza. "Let's take them down before they have a chance to react."

"Right."

The gang of bandits then left their base behind the waterfall. They had all just left their base and when me and Erza came out of our hiding place and stepped in front of them blocking their way.

"Stop right there!" said Erza. "You're not going anywhere!"

"Yeah? Says who?" growled one of the bandits.

"Yeah! Who the hell are you guys?!" demanded a second.

"We are wizards from Fairy Tail," said Erza. "I am Erza Scarlet."

"And I'm Willy Falconer," I said. "Also a wizard from Fairy Tail!"

"Aw crap!" said a third. "I knew this would happen! They're wizards! The mayor must have sent them!"

"Screw that!" said the first. "We can take them! There's plenty of us and only two of them!"

"You think you can take us on with numbers?" Erza asked coolly. "It wouldn't be wise to underestimate us."

"That's right," I said. "If I were you guys, I'd surrender now. Lay down your weapons and give back everything you stole and we won't have to hurt you too bad."

"You cocky bastard!" growled the first bandit. "You think you can threaten us like that!? We'll kick your ass! Let's get em boys!"

The bandits then charged at us with their weapons poised and raised.

Me and Erza then summoned our own respective weapons, mine being my twin water blades and Erza's being a silver sword with a pair of wings at the hilt.

"So much for trying to peaceful," I sighed poising my swords.

"When it comes to these bandits, nothing can ever go peacefully," said Erza readying her sword. "Take them down."

The two of us then shot forward and charged straight at the bandits. We then split up dividing the work of handling the bandits. Erza went for one half of the group while I went straight for the other.

As I came straight toward a group of bandits, they raised their sword preparing to attack. They then swung their swords attempting to slice me, but I was able to block them with ease and push them away. Then another bandit came at me from behind hoping to catch me be surprise, but sensing the attack coming, I immediately jumped up doing a small flip and landing just behind him. Then just before he had a chance to react, I gave him a sharp roundhouse kick to his skull sending him flying and sprawling to the ground.

Then two more bandits came charging at me swiping their sword haphazardly, but I was able to block and parry the swords with ease and with a quick swipe, knocked their swords out of their hands. I then slashed at the bandits, but not too hard and using the blunt sides of the blades. The men I struck were motionless for a moment, but then they fell to the ground unconscious. The other bandits were now starting to get a little nervous.

"Dammit. What's the deal with this guy?!" murmured one.

"Yeah! He keeps blocking all of our attacks," said another. "We can't get a single hit in!"

I then heard a couple of screams causing me along with everyone else to look towards where the screams were coming from. We all saw Erza fighting with the other bandits. Like me, she was holding off the bandits with ease and was hardly breaking a sweat. She took down bandit after bandit until she was almost finished with them. I couldn't help, but be impressed with her.

"Man... Erza's not even using her armor and she's kicking butt," I thought to myself. "Then again these guys are way too easy to handle."

I then turned back to the bandits and resumed my attack going for the first couple that I saw. I rapidly sliced going right past them in an incredible speed and fashion. Another five bandits fell and three more came at me trying to land a blow or at least try to wound me, but once again, I skillfully used my blades to deflect the attacks knocking their swords away from their hands and then struck them knocking them unconscious.

The bandits weren't that difficult to handle, but the sheer number of them was starting to make things a bit difficult. Another two bandits appeared at my right and my left. However, this time instead of using swords, the two used magic to attack me. The two of them summoned magic circles from their hands and then unleashed blasts of magic power. I immediately jumped up dodging the blow and landed on my feet getting some distance from them.

Then suddenly, the ground began to rumble and shake causing me to look towards the ground.

"What the heck? What's going on?" I asked.

Then the bandit's faces immediately lit up upon feeling the ground tremble.

"Alright! The boss is here!" cried one.

"Just when we needed him most!" said another. "Those Fairy chumps are in for it now!"

"Willy! Be careful!" called out Erza. "Something's coming this way!"

The ground continued to rumble shake as if there was some kind of earthquake going on. Then I saw something moving burrowing under the ground coming straight for me. I immediately reacted by dispersing one of my blades, then cloaking my fist with water and then swung it to the ground hoping to punch the thing that was coming at me. But just before my fist connected to the ground, something came bursting out of the ground and soaring up above my head and then landing behind me. Before I had a chance to react, I left something hit me hard right at my back causing me to tumble forward a few feet, but I managed to get my footing stopping myself.

"Who the heck did that?!" I demanded as I looked up.

Then there was the sound of strange laughter and I saw who had attacked me. He was pretty short and stout with skinny arms, had a bushy brown mustache along with hair on top of his receding bald head which was rather unkempt like he hadn't done it in a long time. His clothes were also in rags, but his clothes seemed to be a bit more tidy than the bandits were.

The bandits upon seeing the man were happy to see him.

"Alright! The boss is here!" cried one.

"It's about time we get some help around here!" said another. "Now those punks are in trouble!"

"Well, well. What do we have here?" asked the man. "A couple of wizards who dare to beat up my followers? And to add to that, they're from that accursed Fairy Tail no less. Boyoyoyo."

I had absolutely no idea who this man was, but Erza upon seeing the man was a bit surprised to see him.

"Impossible... That's Everlue!" she said.

"Wait a sec... you know this guy, Erza?" I asked her.

"Of course. That man is a former politician who had absolute power of which he abused and had an influence over Shirotsume," explained Erza. "He also was responsible for keeping a man under solitary confinement just to satisfy his own desire and arrogance. If it wasn't for Natsu and Lucy, this man would have had this way and would have continued to make the town suffer. Although I am quite surprised that he's here right now and joined up with a group of bandits no less."

"That's right Fairy Tail wizard!" said Everlue. "Ever since that ugly blonde of a hussy and that pink-haired fire-breathing moron got me arrested and had my house destroyed, my reputation's been brought to the dirt! Do you know what it's like for a high standing noble man like myself to be reduced to nothing more, but a lowly mongrel in prison?!"

"You only brought that upon yourself," said Erza. "A despicable man like you deserved what you got after the crimes you committed."

"Wait a second... you said that he was arrested, right? How did he get out?" I asked. "And why are you leading a group of bandits just to steal jewel?"

"That's something you don't need to know, boyoyo," said Everlue. "The only thing that you need to know is that I will not allow anyone to stand in my way! And if you think you Fairy hooligans can defeat me, then you're sadly mistaken. I've grown far more stronger than ever before since the last time I've fought your friends and I'm going to crush you both with my powerful and improved Diver Magic! Boyoyoyo!"

And with that, Everlue rolled up into a ball and began to spin in an incredible speed and disappeared into the ground below. I hit the ground with a Water Dragon Iron Fist thinking that he was attacking me again, but I was wrong. I saw that trail of burrowing dirt was heading straight towards Erza.

"Erza! Incoming!" I yelled.

Then before the redhead had a chance to react, Everlue burst forth from the ground and narrowly zipped right past her, bouncing of a tree and heading straight for her. Erza turned around and crossed her swords defending her herself from the attack and forced Everlue back. Everlue rebounded against the tree and then shot straight at the ground disappearing into the dirt.

"Damn it! He's so fast!" I cried.

"Be careful, Willy!" said Erza. "He's using Diver Magic to dig his way into the ground and attack!"

Then Everlue popped up. "Just a moment! Did this woman just say, Willy?" he asked incredulously. "As in Willy Falconer?"

"Yeah. That's me," I said to the man. "What's it to you?"

Everlue then stared at me, then an evil twisted grin spread across his face.

"This is perfect! An absolute stroke of good luck!" he cackled. Then he turned to the other bandits. "Listen up! I want you all to attack that woman over there! Meanwhile, I'll handle the boy! Make sure that woman doesn't interfere!"

"You got it boss!" said a bandit. "You heard the man! Get the girl!"

The bandits then all charged straight at Erza immediately surrounding her. I made an attempt to try and get her some back up, but then Everlue came popping out of the ground once again trying to hit me with an uppercut, but luckily I back flipped dodging the blow just in time.

"Uh-uh-uh. You're not going anywhere," said Everlue clicking his tongue. "You're dealing with me now, boy. Boyoyo."

I clicked my tongue feeling a bit irritated as to this turn of events, but I had to focus on Everlue. I dispersed by swords and took my stance. Everlue then disappeared underneath the ground once again using his Diver Magic. I looked around trying to predict where he was going to come out, but I couldn't see him anywhere. Suddenly, I sensed danger coming from the left and I immediately side-stepped out of the way just to see Everlue fly right past me diving into the ground.

"Boyoyoyo!" Everlue cackled. "Just give it up, boy! You'll never be able to capture me! If anything, the one who will be captured is you! Boyo!"

"Look bub, I have no idea why you're suddenly chasing after me, but there's no way you're getting me without a fight!" I yelled.

Everlue responded with another "boyoyoyo" and continued to pop in and out of the ground attacking me. Every time time he pop out of the ground, he managed to land a blow on me. It didn't hurt, but it was starting to get me annoyed.

I could also see that Erza was having her fair share of trouble as well. The bandits were easy to take out, but the problem was the number of bandits that were attacking her. Every time she would take out five of them, ten more would appear and attacked her. She didn't take any damage yet, but it was only a matter of time.

"Erza! Are you alright?" I called out trying to find Everlue.

"I'm fine! Although, I'm starting to get rather annoyed," I heard Erza say. "Perhaps it's time for me to take this a little more seriously."

Then a bright flash of light shone coming from just a few feet behind me. I looked back to see that Erza was glowing and surrounded in a bright light signaling that she was using her Requip Magic. Upon seeing this, the bandits couldn't help, but stare at Erza lewdly from her transformation. Even Everlue couldn't help, but notice this.

"What the devil is going on here?!" he demanded.

Then the light died down and Erza was now wearing an armor that made my eyes widen with wonder. Her armor had now changed into a long dress that was practically nothing but silver and gleaming metal exposing a lot of her bosom and and midsection. She also had four large metal wings on her back and held a pair of twin swords like me, but they had wings on the hilt. When I saw Erza's current attire, I couldn't help but be amazed.

"Holy crap! What kind of armor is that one?!" I exclaimed with shock and wonder.

Then with a mighty beat of her wings, Erza took flight into the air. At the same time, a ring of swords circled around her and began to spin in an incredible speed.

"Now, dance my swords!" yelled Erza. "CIRCLE SWORD!"

A with a wave of the swords in her hands, Erza sent her swords flying at the bandits scattering all around hitting their targets. Most the bandits were sent flying in all directions as they fell to the ground defeated and unconscious.

Me and Everlue's mouths hung open in surprise and shock.

"What the devil?!" cried Everlue.

"Amazing..." I murmured. "She was about to take out that many in one attack? I'd expected nothing less."

"Willy! Stay focused!" called out Erza. "Take out Everlue while I take out all of these scoundrels!"

"R-right! You got it!" I called back. Then I turned back to my opponent and cloaked my hands in water. "Since Erza's busting out the heavy artillery, I might as well follow suit! Prepare yourself Everlue, cause you're going down!"

"Like I'm going to let you, boy!" Everlue shot back. "Once I'm done with you, I'll collect your body and then I shall become my former rich and powerful self!"

He then once more dove deep into the ground out of sight. This time, I slapped my hand onto the ground and used my own magic.

"AQUA SENSE."

In my mind, I could see Everlue digging his way under the ground zigging and zagging. I soon could see him coming right at me from behind hoping to catch me off guard with a sneak attack. I smirked as Everlue popped out of the ground behind me just as I predicted. I immediately jumped up into the air dodging the attack and then cloaked my hands in water.

"WATER DRAGON WING ATTACK!"

I unleashed my Wing Attack spell making the attack hit Everlue dead on sending him slamming into the ground. Everlue was stunned, but he quickly dug into the ground hoping to get away and recover. I however wasn't going let him get that chance. I immediately landed on the ground and chuffed out my cheeks aiming for the hole Everlue made.

"WATER DRAGON ROAR!"

A huge burst of water erupted from my mouth shooting into the hole Everlue made. The ground began to rumble and shake and then a large spout of water shot forth from the ground with Everlue right on top of it. I then seized my chance and then summoned my water blades and before Everlue had a chance to react, I slashed him in an incredible speed and fashion. A few seconds passed and then the spout Everlue was riding on as well as his clothes burst apart as Everlue fell to the ground in pain and defeated.

"D-d-damn you..." he groaned in agony. "You... you killed me..."

"Oh calm down," I said as my swords disappeared. "I only struck you with the back sides of my blades, so you won't die. You will however be in a lot of pain though."

Then Erza came up having to have just changed back into her normal attire. "It would seem that you wrapped things up on your end," she said with a smirk. "Although it took you a while to finish off Everlue."

"Says the girl who to took her sweet time taking care of some bandits," I chuckled. "I just wanted to test myself a bit and have some fun, but I guess I overdid it a little."

* * *

A few moments later, Erza and I tied up all of the bandits including Everlue. We also checked out the base where they kept their stolen goods and took them out. We also sealed away the cave, so that no one else would use it as a base ever again. When we finished our work, Erza then glared sternly at them like a mother scolding her children.

"Now listen up. We will be taking back everything you stole," she said. "I never want you steal from the people of Shirotsume ever again. If you do, I'll be less than forgiving. Do I make myself clear?"

"Y-yes ma'am!" the bandits responded timidly.

Then Erza looked towards Everlue who was more tied up an the others. "As for you Everlue, you will be taken into custody by the council once again," she said. "This time, I'll put in a word to have you transferred to the branch, so you won't escape again."

Everlue could only respond with muffled mumbling due to his mouth being tied along with the rest of his body. Seeing Erza act all motherly to all these bandits made smile and let out a chuckle a little. It made me think about how was when she was dealing with Natsu and Gray whenever they fought. She was a big sister to everyone she knew and even to complete strangers.

"She hasn't changed a bit even after all these years," I thought to myself. "Glad to see that Erza's so kind even to her enemies."

Then I looked at Everlue who was mumbling a fit. I suddenly remembered his previous words when we were fighting before about defeating me and returning to his rich former self.

"I wonder what he could have meant by that?" I wondered. "Maybe he was hoping to hold me for ransom or something? I doubt it. Whatever the reason, he most definitely was desperate to capture me. But why?"

"Willy? Is something on your mind?" I heard Erza ask.

I shook my head shaking my cobwebs of thinking. "No. It's nothing, Erza," I said. "Just thinking how you haven't changed at all after all these years."

Erza smiled. "Well, I try to be kind as possible even to my enemies," she said. "Although there are some who choose to try my patience. In any case, let's head back to town. We must inform the mayor that he had subdued the bandits and we also must call the Royal Knights, so they can pick up Everlue."

"Right."

* * *

Back by the cave behind the waterfall, the entrance was completely closed, so no one else could get in. There wasn't anything left in there except for one item. A flyer with a person's face on it. It was a bit muddled, but you could still make out the person's face clearly. On the bottom of the person's face on the flier were words that read:

 **WILLY FALCONER**

 **AKA THE TRAITOR OF THE BAREM ALLIANCE**

 **WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE**

 **1,000,000 JEWEL**

Then the shadow of a person cast over the flyer. The person picked up the flyer and looked at it. After reading it, an evil and sinister smile flashed across its face and then left the cave with the flyer in hand.

* * *

 _If you liked what you read or if you'd like to give me some ideas or something to improve on, feel free to let me know in reviews or PM.  
_

 _Till then..._

 _Dragoman out!_


	64. Chapter 64 Should I or Shouldn't?

_Next chapter up and ready!_

 _Enjoy the read and don't forget to fav and follow!_

 _Italics stand for flashback._

* * *

Chapter 64

Should I or Shouldn't?

After a while, me and Erza managed to make it back into town. We went over to Nadi's office and then told him what had happened regarding the bandits including Everlue. He was very pleased with us and paid us with the reward for completing the job. In addition, we also called the royal knights and to have Everlue taken away. I still felt kind of puzzled and confused about that man. Especially since that he was so desperate to capture me for some reason. It really made me wonder.

It was nightfall now and me and Erza had just left the mayor's house having to have collected our pay.

"Do you mind if we split the reward fifty-fifty?" I asked her.

"It seems fair to me," said Erza. "After all, we both did our fair share of the job even though we had some surprises."

I then looked up at the dark star filled sky which also had a crescent moon glowing brightly. "Looks like it's nighttime now. Should we rent out an inn or something?"

Erza hummed thoughtfully. "Normally I would suggest that we try to get back to the guildhall," she said. "But since it's already nightfall, we might as well try to find a place to stay for the night."

We then walked around town trying to find a place to stay. As we walked by, the town seemed a bit more scarce now. Most of the people had gone to their homes and went to bed except for a few night owls. Soon enough, we managed to find an inn close to the middle of town. It wasn't anything fancy and a modest place, but it was just right for those who were weary travelers who wanted to rest their weary bodies.

Me and Erza went inside the inn and rented ourselves a room. Then when we got inside of the room, we both made ourselves at home. Erza then decided to take a bath while I lied on the bed waiting for my turn in the bath. As I lied down, I gazed up at the ceiling thinking about everything that had happened today. The job went pretty well and there wasn't any issues, but I was still thinking about Everlue and about what he said to me when he was trying to capture me.

 _"Like I'm going to let you, boy. Once I'm done with you, I'll collect your body and then I shall become my former rich and powerful self!"_

"What on earth could Everlue have meant when he said that?" I wondered to myself playing with my necklace. "Was it just talk or was planning to sell me or something? Man... I wish I knew. I know it shouldn't be anything to worry about, but still..."

Then, Erza came back in wearing nothing, but a towel. Then after that, her towel quickly changed into pajamas which was a shirt and sweats, colored light purple with red crosses all over them.

"All right Willy," said the redhead. "It's your turn."

"Alright then," I said as I got up from the bed.

"Maybe a good soak in the tub will clear my thought a bit," I thought. "For all I know, I'm probably overthinking about this and there's nothing to worry about."

I then stepped inside the bathroom and stripped down and stepped into the tub. I let out a content sigh as the warm water made my muscles relax and I sank into the water up to my face. This was the first time in a while that I was able to relax in a bathtub like this. The water felt so great and it was really what I needed.

As I sat there in the tub, I couldn't help but notice the water. For some reason, it got curious as to how the water tasted. So, I scooped up some water in my hand and then drank it. The taste of the water wasn't too bad, but it be a little better. After I had a good soak in the tub, I then washed my body making sure that I was completely clean. After that, I got dressed and left the bathroom to get ready for bed. However when I came in, I noticed something quite peculiar. I saw Erza lying on the bed with her back toward me seeming to be completely immersed with something unaware that I just came out of the bath.

Feeling curious as to what she was reading, I quietly walked over to where she was sitting and peeked over her shoulder. It seemed like a normal chapter book. I couldn't help, but read a couple of lines.

 ** _I arched against him when he moved to my other breast. Two fingers worked inside me, a little uncomfortable but nothing I couldn't handle. Not so long as he kept his mouth on me..._**

This made me feel confused a little and yet at the same time take more of an interest as to what Erza was reading. I then lightly tapped her on the shoulder trying to get her attention.

"Um... Erza," I said quietly.

Erza suddenly snapped her head around and let out a startled yelp. She was also startled that the book she was carrying went flying out of her hands and into the air. She managed to catch her book and immediately hugged it close to her chest blushing bright red.

"W-w-w-willy!" she squeaked. "H-how long were you standing here?!"

"About a minutes or so," I replied. "Sorry, but I was interested in the book you were reading. You seemed to be really into it, so it must be good."

Erza's face went even redder than before making it as red as her hair. "D-d-did you see?" she stammered.

"Well... if you mean if I saw anything in the book, I was only able to read a couple of lines," I replied. "Something about... moving someone to a breast and having two fingers inside of someone."

Erza's faced then paled as she seemed to freeze in horror. There was a long and awkward pause. Then Erza sank to the floor seeming to be very depressed.

"No... you saw it. You saw my deepest darkest secret..." she wept.

"What secret?" I asked her feeling more puzzled than before.

But Erza kept on rambling. "How could I have been so foolish?" she cursed as she clenched her fist. "Why did I think it was such a good idea to read the book that Levy gave me on this job?! Especially since there was a possibility that I would be caught!" She then looked at me her eyes filled with tears. "Willy, I'm so sorry that you had to see me acting in such a shameful manner. You may strike me down if you wish."

I stared blankly at the redhead not really sure what to make of this. "Um... I'm not gonna strike you, Erza," I said. "Why would you want me to hit you just because you're reading a book?"

"Because it's not just an ordinary book!" said Erza. "It's... well... it's a... it's an adult novel..."

I still felt a little confused. Then Erza showed me the book that she was reading. On the cover, it had a picture of a man and a woman gazing lovingly into each others eyes with the title on top that read: A Passionate Embrace. From the looks of things, it appeared to be some kind of romance book.

"I don't understand," I said. "It's just a romance book right? I mean... what's the big deal?"

Erza then stared dumbly at me. "Willy... do you know what kind of book this is?" she asked.

"A romance novel right?" I answered.

"But... it's more than just a romance novel. It's... an romance novel for those... who are adults," explained Erza. "Do you understand what I mean?"

I raised a brow. "I'm sorry Erza, but... I don't understand what you mean."

Erza then stood up and crossed her arms furrowing her brow. She also paced a little as if she was trying to find the words to say. Then she stopped.

"Willy. Let me ask you this. Do you know how... the birds and the bees work?" she asked. "You know... how babies are made."

"Well... kinda," I said thoughtfully. "I have heard some things about that from Sieri, but I never fully understood it."

"Well... this novel as a lot of that kind of stuff," said Erza blushing once again. "It has... a whole lot of... well... love making."

As soon as she said those words, I remembered back when I was little and I happened to come upon Sieri who was just as embarrassed as Erza was right now. That was when I understood.

"Oh, I get it, Erza! You were reading an erotic novel!" I said brightly.

Erza immediately let out a startled squeal and immediately dove at me covering my mouth with her hand. "Be quiet!" she snapped giving me a panic-stricken glare. "Do you want the entire hotel to hear you?! Keep your voice down!"

I let out a few muffled grunts in surprise. After a few seconds, Erza let go of my mouth.

"So I was right," I spoke in a low voice. "It is an erotic novel."

Erza nodded timidly in response.

"I wouldn't be so embarrassed about that Erza," I said. "Sieri read those kinds of books all the time. I mean... I don't think less of you if that's what you're worried about."

Erza then looked at me, her eyes filled with slight hope. "Really? You don't?"

"Of course not. I mean you're still Erza," I said. "Besides, I've always been curious about those kinds of books. So maybe I'll start reading one myself."

Erza's eyes sparkled as she held my hands and tears streamed down my face. "Willy! You're such a kind soul!" she wept. "You're one of the of kind-hearted guildmate I've ever had the pleasure of knowing! Just what I would expect from you!"

"Um... thank you... I think?" I answered wryly.

"However, you must keep my obsession with these kinds of books a secret," said Erza. "If anyone else found out about this, my reputation in the guild will be shot. If anyone found out about it..." She then drew a sword and pointed it dangerously at me. "I would personally would have to silence you. Is that clear?"

"S-sure thing," I said wryly smiling. "I won't tell a soul. You have my word."

"Good. Now then, let's get down to business," said Erza as she put away her blade.

"Down to business? What do you mean?" I asked.

Erza then walked over to her cart of stuff which somehow miraculously was able to fit in the room and started digging through it. Then she pulled out a couple more books from it and placed them in front of me.

"Since you know my secret of these kinds of books and you appear to have an interest in them, I brought some for us to read," she said. "Feel free to pick the one you want to start out first."

At first, I was going to decline, but then again I was still interested. Not to mention I didn't want to get on Erza's bad side again considering that she had just pointed a sword at me. Not wanting to make her more agitated and worried, I decided to humor her and pick a book.

* * *

The very next morning after we spent the night at Shirotsume, we left the town behind us and we managed to make it back to Magnolia by afternoon. Needless to say, I was feeling a little bit tired due to the night I had with Erza. The reason being that Erza and I stayed up a little and Erza was recommending some books to try out. I had to admit, that was a side of Erza I did not expect to know, but on the plus side, I did get to have a new book to read. After all, I do like to read books.

Anyway, we came back into the guild hall and walked inside. As we came in, we went up to the front of the bar and were greeted by Makarov.

"Welcome back you two," he said. "I take it that you both have succeeded in the job?"

"Yes Master," replied Erza. "The job was handled without any problems at all."

"Good. Very good," nodded Makarov. Then he looked at me. "So, how did you like your first job Willy?" he asked.

"It was actually pretty fun," I said with a small smirk. "Although I kinda wish I had a bit of a better challenge."

Erza chuckled. "Come now Willy. You're starting to sound like Natsu. Don't tell me that you're obsessed with fighting like he is."

"Not really. I was just hoping to test myself a bit," I said. "But on the plus side, at least I was able to cover my rent for this month."

Then I looked around noticing that a couple of the members weren't around. Not only that, but I noticed that Mira wasn't around either and neither was Elfman.

"Hey Mr. Makarov? Do you know where everyone went?" I asked. "I don't see Natsu, Mira, Elfman or anyone else for that matter."

"Let me see..." hummed Makarov thoughtfully. "Natsu, Gray, and Lucy went out on a job, I can't really say where Elfman is and I haven't seen Mira either."

"Oh. And here I was hoping to see them today," I said. "Oh well. I suppose I'll have to see them another time. Until then, I think I'll head home. Thanks again for going on the job with me Erza. I really enjoyed our time and I'm glad to have had your help."

"The pleasure's all mine," said Erza. "If you ever need my help again, please feel free to let me know."

"Of course I will," I replied.

Then Erza whispered in my ear, so that Makarov wouldn't hear them. "And remember to keep my secret a secret."

"Don't worry. I'll remember," I whispered back.

Then I left the guild hall and walked back to my apartment. As I headed home, I walked along the canals close to the edge looking into the water. The canals looked so nice that I felt a little tempted to dive in and take a swim in them, but I didn't think that would be a good idea. I didn't want to get into trouble or cause a ruckus, so I kept on walking.

Soon enough, I made it to the apartments and I had just gone inside and walked to my room. I came to my door and opened it walking inside. As soon as I walked inside, I found an unexpected surprise awaiting me. There sitting on the L shaped couch was two surprise guests, Mira and Elfman. I was so surprised, I practically fell over in surprise.

"Mira?! Elfman?!" I exclaimed.

"Oh. Hey there Willy," said Mira. "Welcome home."

"Sorry about this, Willy," said Elfman. "Hope you don't mind, but we let ourselves in. By the way, you got yourself quite the manly apartment. It's pretty nice."

As the two continued to make themselves at home, I couldn't help but feel a little baffled at this.

"This must be how Lucy feels when Natsu and Happy invade her room," I thought to myself. "But... I have been looking for the two, so I suppose I can overlook this. Hopefully this won't happen again."

"Look you guys, I'm glad to see you," I spoke. "But please try not to do this again."

"Aw come on Willy. Aren't you happy to see us?" asked Mira pouting. "And here we went out of our way to see you."

"Come on Sis. We did kinda came into his room without asking," said Elfman.

Mira then smiled. "I know. I was just teasing. By the way Willy, how was your first job with Erza?"

"Oh. It was fine," I said as I sat down. "The job was handled pretty well and we managed to take the bandits into custody."

"I only wish I could have gone with you," said Mira. "But sadly I had to work at the guild hall..."

"Not to mention that you have an appointment with Sorcerer Weekly in a couple of days," said Elfman. "No doubt that you're gonna be busy."

"Sorcerer Weekly? Is that the name of a newspaper or something?" I asked.

"Why yes. It is," said Mira brightly. "Sorcerer Weekly is a magazine subscription that details guilds and what they do. It talks about magic items, popular conferences, and even takes photos of popular mages."

"Mira here has been in Sorcerer Weekly quite a few times," said Elfman. "Which is why she's one of the most popular girls in the guild and in Fiore."

Mira's cheeks turned slightly pink. "Aww Elfman, you're making me blush here."

I couldn't help but feel a little amazed staring at Mira in surprise. "Wow. I had no idea how popular you are," I said. "And to think back when we were kids, you didn't want to have anything to do with anyone."

Mira chuckled. "Well I was a scared timid little girl back then," she said. "That and I was a bit tomboyish. Too much so for my own good."

"I'll say you were," laughed Elfman. "You were quite a man back then."

"But... Elfman. How many times do I have to tell you?" said Mira sweatdropping. "I'm a woman, not a man."

Then I laughed too. "It's great to know that you two have been doing well since joining Fairy Tail for the past six years," I said. "It makes me feel a bit jealous. I wish I could have been there back then. You guys must have been lonely without me."

"Well... it has been a little lonely," said Elfman. "But thanks to our friends in the guild, we've hardly had the time to be lonely."

"That's right. And thanks to our friends, we've made so many memories with them," added Mira. "And besides, we can make up for those years of being apart by making new memories." Then Mira gasped. "Oh yes. I almost forgot. Willy, I've been wanting to ask you the very first chance that I saw you, do you have any plans for the next few days or so?"

"I don't think so," I replied. "Why?"

"Well... there's two things I need to ask you," said Mira. "One of which involves the three of us."

"You see... it has to do with Lisanna," said Elfman.

The moment I heard that name, the image of Lisanna's gravestone appeared in my mind making my heart skip a beat. I also could feel the pang of guilt bubble up in my heart, but I did my best not to show it.

"Wh-what about her?" I asked.

"Well... in a couple days from now, it's going to be the anniversary of Lisanna's death," explained Elfman. "Ever since she died, me and Mira have been visiting her grave as a tradition."

"And we know that you still feel a little shocked for finding out about it, but we were wondering... if you wanted to come with us to the church," said Mira now speaking in a low voice. "I mean... you don't have to, but we felt like we should ask anyway. You know, to pay for your respects."

I closed my eyes and thought about this wondering what I should do. I've seen the grave before, but it still haunted me that Lisanna was now dead even after a couple days afterward. To be perfectly honest, I'd really rather not go back there. However on the other hand, it would be the right thing to do to pay my respects to her after all these years even if I didn't want to go.

After feeling a bit conflicted about making my decision, I gave my response.

"I'm not really thrilled about this, but I'll come along," I said. "I mean... she is like a sister to me and it wouldn't be right if I didn't pay some sort of respect to her. I'll go."

Mira and Elfman smiled feeling relieved.

"Good. It'll be great to have you with us," said Mira. "We'll head over there a couple of days from now."

"Sounds like a plan to me," I said. "By the way, what was the other thing that you wanted to ask me Mira?"

"Oh yes. I almost forgot," said Mira. "I was wondering if you could help me around the guild tomorrow if you're not busy. I have a lot of errands to run and I could use some help. We could also spend some time catching up."

"Sure. I'd be happy to help," I said with a smile.

"Great. Then I'll see you tomorrow then," said Mira. Then she happened to look up at the clock. "Oops. Look at the time. I have to get back at the guild hall for work."

"Then you'd better get going then," I said. "I don't want you to be late."

"Come on Mira. I'll walk you to work," said Elfman. "I gotta get ready to go on a job anyway."

The two of them then said their goodbyes to me as did I and then walked out of the room leaving me by myself. As soon as I shut the door, I went over to my bed and plopped down right on it burying my face into my pillow. I wouldn't be lying if I didn't say that was somewhat stressful. First there was the whole thing with Everlue and now there was this. I would have said no, but I had to pay my respects not to mention I didn't want to disappoint Elfman and Mira. Lisanna was like a sister to me. Well whether I liked it or not, I was going to see Lisanna's grave once again.

I lied on my bed face down enjoying the softness of my pillow. Feeling a tad bored, I looked to my side and I saw the book that Erza had given me to borrow. I could still remember the other night when she completely wonked out on me. I took the book and looked at it resting my eyes on the cover and then looking at the back. I knew that I was curious about reading it before, but now I wasn't sure if it was a good idea for reading it in broad daylight considering it was one of those books. Then again, I was in the privacy in my own room, so it wasn't like there was anyone around to watch me or anything.

Then after a few minutes of staring at the book, I then opened it up and began to read it unaware of what I was going to find out when I read the book.

* * *

 **NO POV**

The landlady who was in charge of the apartment that Lucy and Willy were staying in was going through her papers by the entrance of the apartments. She was a stout middle-aged woman with purple hair, also wearing a revealing real dress with a boa, and wore some high-heels.

She was just about to wrap up sorting through them when someone came to the door and walked up to her.

The landlady looked up. "Can I help you?" she asked the mysterious stranger.

The stranger was a middle-aged man about younger than she is. He had long white hair that was tied into a ponytail and had a beard that was also long, but neatly trimmed. He wore an overcoat that covered most of his body and also wore a hat that obscured his face.

The stranger looked at the landlady and smiled looking friendly. "Hello there ma'am," he said. "I'm sorry to bother you, but I have a favor I need to ask you." He dug into his overcoat and pulled out an envelope containing a letter inside and handed it to her. . "Would you please give this to a Mr. Willy Falconer? It's very important that he reads it as soon as he can."

The Landlady looked at the letter in her hands and then looked up at the stranger. "Sure. I can give this to him," she said. "But who is this from?"

The man smiled having a hint of darkness unaware to the woman. "Let's just say that it's from someone that knows him... and that someone is looking forward to seeing him soon. Very soon..."

And then the man turned on his heel and walked out of the building.

* * *

 _Once again, if you liked what you or you want to give me some ideas or pointers, don't be afraid to PM me._

 _Until then..._

 _Dragoman out!_


	65. Chapter 65 Being with You

Here's the next chapter of the story!

Happy reading!

* * *

Chapter 65

Being with You

 **A couple of hours later...**

I had read a couple of chapters in on the book and I was really into it. At first I was expecting the worst, but the story wasn't at all like I thought it would be. It actually had a pretty plot and some good characters. It also made me wonder if it really was an erotic novel. I couldn't stop reading it. I desperately wanted to know what would happen to the hero and the heroine of the story, no matter what I came across while reading. Would they ever get together? Will they overcome their obstacles and fall in love? Will I ever get to the part where they did... well... dirty stuff? All I could do was keep reading.

Before I knew it, the sun had already set and it was getting close to dusk. And to add to that, I was also about a third of the way through the book. Since it was getting late, I figured I'd take a bath and get ready for bed. I walked towards the bathroom and was about to enter, but then I stopped and looked back to the book that I placed on the bed. I was really tempted to read some more, but I knew that I really needed a bath.

"Maybe I should take the book with me in the bath," I thought. Then I shook my head. "Nah. It's not my book for starters. I might accidentally drop it in the water and then Erza will be rather cross with me we as would Levy. I'll just take a bath first and then get back to reading."

I then walked over to the bathroom and then turned on the water. I then took off my clothes and washed myself while I waited for the tub to fill. I scrubbed every part of my body until I was finished. At the very same time, the tub was filled just the way I wanted it and I turned off the water. Then I stepped into the water and immersed myself in the water letting out a sigh.

"Man... I never get tired of this," I said to myself. "This is absolute heaven. I could stay in this tub forever and ever. Lucy definitely had the right idea recommending this place to me."

As I soaked in the tub, I looked up at the ceiling letting my thoughts wander in my mind. I also hummed a little tune to myself just for fun. I stayed in the tub for about a good fifteen minutes or so and then I got out and got dressed in my pajamas. I just got out of the bathroom when I heard a knock on the door.

"Coming," I called as I walked up to the door.

I then opened the door to see that the landlady was standing in front of my doorway.

"Oh. Good evening Ms. Landlady," I said. "What brings you to my room? Something the matter?"

"Nothing of the sort, Willy," said the landlady. "I just came by to bring you something." She then held handed me an envelope. "Someone came by and told me to give this to you."

I took the envelope from the landlady and inspected it. There was no return address neither was there a postal mark which made me feel a bit confused.

"Do you know who this person was that told you to give this letter to me?" I asked.

The landlady shook her head. "I honestly don't know. The only thing I can tell you was that it was some guy I've never seen before," she said. "However he did say that he was someone you knew and he's looking forward to seeing you. Maybe he's one of your fans or something."

"Well then, I appreciate you giving this to me Ms. Landlady," I said. "I'll make sure to read this right away."

"Anytime. Have a good night, Willy," said the landlady.

She then walked away as I went back into my room. I walked to my bed and sat down taking another look at the letter.

"I wonder who would send me a letter?" I thought. "Finn perhaps? Or maybe someone from the guild? Well, there's only one way to find out."

I then flipped the envelope and lifted the flap opening it. Inside of it was a single folded piece of paper. I then opened the paper. On it was a strange symbol that was an upside down triangle that was green with a white outline with a matching color dot in the middle. Above the symbol was two words.

 **GUESS WHO?**

The moment I saw those words and that symbol, I felt even more confused than before. Not only that, but I felt the nagging suspicion that I had seen that symbol somewhere before. But I couldn't remember where. I then shrugged off the feeling and placed the note on the desk next to my bed.

"It's probably nothing," I thought to myself. "It must be some kind of prank or something."

I then looked at the window and saw that the sun had disappeared from the sky and it was now nightfall. I let out a yawn while stretching feeling a little bit sleepy.

"I guess it's time for me to go to sleep," I said to myself as I got into my bed. "Man... and here I was hoping to read a couple more chapters of that book. Oh well. There's always tomorrow."

I pulled up the covers up to my chest and made myself comfy. When I found myself in a suitable sleeping position, I then closed my eyes and soon enough, I was fast asleep.

* * *

 _I was floating... Floating in the blank space that everyone knew as the dreaming space._

 _Then... I felt an sensation on my arms and my ankles. A burning and painful sensation. Not only that, but I felt a stinging sensation around my neck like something around my neck was wound tight and had just burned me._

 _I then opened my eyes._

 _My vision was blurry at first, but it eventually grew sharper and I could see where I was. When I realized where I was, I immediately broke into a sweat and I felt my heart stop.  
_

 _I was in the room where I was experimented on back when I was the Bureau of Magical Development as a child bound up by the cables in the pit.  
_

 _"What...? What is this?!" I exclaimed. "What am I doing here?!"  
_

 _Then suddenly three faces appeared before me. All of them were the staff members that worked in the Bureau wearing those cloth masks._

 _"It's time," they all ominously said. "It's time."_

 _I immediately tried to break free of the cables that bound me, but I couldn't. I tried to summon my magic, but that didn't work either. I then felt fear and terror slowly begin to take over my body as I found myself completely helpless in this situation. Then I heard the sound of evil laughter echo throughout the space I was in causing me to look around wondering where it was coming from.  
_

 _Then I looked up and saw the strange structure of the face of back then. As soon as I saw it, it began changing shape and it took the appearance of a man. Upon seeing the face, my eyes widened as wide as saucers. It was the bearded man who had arranged me to be kidnapped and experimented on me._

 _He flashed a twisted smile that spread from ear to ear. "You're mine, my little subject," he said darkly. "You're my one and only subject... you're mine and mine alone..."_

 _Then I saw that the cables volt to life as a strange purple electricity went through them and headed straight towards me. I struggled as hard as I could desperately trying to break free before it could get to me._

 _But it would be too late. The electricity touched my skin and I felt a powerful shock go through my body. I screamed in agony as my body convulsed and shook. All the while, the man was cackling evilly and in amusement enjoying torturing and breaking me.  
_

 _As I continued to be shocked, I screamed in agony and I could feel tears welling in my eyes.  
_

 _Then I saw something as my torture continued. A strange purple substance that came from the cables was slowly covering my skin. As it did, a hot feeling began to overtake me along with the pain. I then could feel my reason slipping away like something was taking me over. The substance enveloped my arms and legs and was getting close to my face. I tried to keep my sense, but I could feel it. I was losing myself to the pain and the heat. The substance had already enveloped my chest and was going up my neck. Then just when it was about to envelop my face..._

* * *

My eyes immediately snapped up as I bolted straight up waking up with a fright. I was panting like I had just ran a marathon and I was sweating like a pig. I took a couple of deep breaths trying to calm myself down. I looked around and saw that I was still in my room with the sun shining through my window. Then I happened to look at the desk next to me and saw the note. I took the note and I looked at it.

Now I knew what that symbol was and had an idea of who sent. It was the symbol that I saw on the staff's faces back when I was little. The symbol of the Bureau of Magical Development. Which meant that someone from the Bureau must have sent me this paper.

My hands began to tremble and shake causing the paper to shake as well. I then crumpled the paper in my hands.

"Damn it," I thought as I clenched my fists.

Obviously this was a problem that I just couldn't ignore. If someone from the Bureau did indeed send me this, why now? How did the person know where I lived? And who was it that sent me this?

I then shook my head getting out of my bed and went to the bathroom. As much of a problem this was, I couldn't worry about it right now because I had no idea what I would be dealing with. I crumpled the paper into a little ball and threw it away in the trash can. I then went to the bathroom, so I could take a shower.

As I stripped down and turned on the shower, I looked down at my hands. They were perfectly normal just like any other human's, but there was some slight scarring on my wrists due to the experimenting done on me. I also looked down at my feet where there was also some rings of scarring around my ankles. Just seeing them made me remember my dark past once again and the old man who had betrayed and experimented on me. I could still remember his words which made me my hands tremble and clench in anger and fear.

 _"You're my one and only subject. You're mine and mine alone."_

I then sighed focusing on getting the dark thoughts out of my mind. Like I told myself before, there was nothing I could do at this time about that. The only thing I could do right now is to go about my day.

* * *

As soon as I was finished getting ready, I walked out of the apartment building to find that a certain blonde that was my neighbor was walking just ahead of me. I then fast walked toward her eventually catching up to her.

"Hey there, Lucy," I greeted.

Lucy turned around and smiled when she saw me. "Hey there, Willy," she said. "What's up? You heading for the guildhall?"

"Of course I am," I replied. "I'm going to help Mira today with some errands."

"Well that sure sounds like fun," said Lucy. "You'll learn a lot about the guild and you'll have an opportunity to catch up with Mira."

"Yup. That's the plan," I said. "What about you? You gonna go out on a job or something to pay the rent?"

"Of course," said Lucy. "If I don't, the landlady will reap me a new one."

As we continued our walk chatting, I made sure not to show any worry on my face due to my nightmare and the letter I received. The last thing I wanted was to make one of my friends worry about me. Me and Lucy soon came into the guildhall and walked and were greeted by some of our guild members. I looked around trying to find Mira, so I could get started helping her, but she was nowhere to be seen.

I decided to hang around until I saw her, so I took a seat at a table. As I did, a female member came up to me. She was wearing a green waitress uniform and had short purple hair with a green bow on top. I recognized this girl as Kinana.

"Hey there, Willy," she said. "Can I get you anything?"

"Just a big cup of water please, Kinana," I said.

"No problem. One big cup of water coming up," said Kinana.

She then left to fetch me what I ordered. After a few seconds, Kinana returned with a full cup of water and I gulped down a swig. As I drank my water, I heard a pair of voices.

"Hey there, Willy."

"How's it going bud?"

I put down my cup and turned to see Macao and Wakaba coming up to me.

"Hey there, Macao. Wakaba," I said smiling. "It's good to see you two."

"Not as great seeing you," Macao grinned. "Look at you, all grown up and a member of Fairy Tail."

"We've been meaning to see you sooner, but with all the craziness we forgot to," said Wakaba. "So how have you been?"

"Doing pretty well," I said. "Thank you for asking. By the way, have you two seen Mira anywhere?"

"Why? You wanna ask her on a hot date or something?" asked Wakaba teasingly.

"Not really. I'm supposed to be helping her out with a couple of errands today," I replied as I gulped down some more water. "I figured I'd go see her as soon as I can."

"Well... I think I saw her in the archives last time I checked," said Macao.

"Alright then," I said. "Then that's where I'll look for her. Thanks."

I then got up and drank the rest of my water and walked off heading to the archives. I walked up a flight of stairs onto the second floor and I came to a room in the corner. I opened the door and looked around and my eyes went wide with amazement. The entire room was filled with books as far as the eye could see. It was like I walked in a library. I then happened to see a certain someone who was standing on a really tall ladder putting some books back on the shelf. The very someone that I was looking for.

"Hey Mira!" I called. "I'm here to help you."

Mira looked down at me and smiled. "Hey there, Willy. Nice of you to come," she said.

"Is this one of the errands you have to do?" I asked as I came down the stairs.

"Yes. I just need to put some new documents in," said Mira. "Mind giving me a hand?"

"Not at all," I said. "I'm always happy to help you out."

Soon enough, Mira and I were busy sorting out the documents. We both went back and forth and up and down placing books, records, and other things into their proper places. After a while, everything was where it should be.

"Whew. Well that was a lot of work," I said wiping my brow.

"Good job Willy," said Mira. "That's one errand out of the way. If it was just me by myself, it would have taken me quite a while to finish. I really appreciate the help."

"It's no problem," I said. "I'm just surprised that there's so many books here. Are they all records of the guild and its members and stuff?"

"Yes. This place is where you can find just about every thing about the guild and what has transpired here," said Mira. "Like who was in the guild and stuff like that."

"Wow... that's crazy," I gasped as I looked around at the many books again. "There must be lots of records in this place."

"There sure are," smiled Mira. "Anyway, now that we've finished sorting the newly added records, you wanna help some more?"

"Sure," I said.

Then, Mira and I left the Archive room behind us and went about doing the other duties she had to do. From cleaning the windows to doing the dusting. After a while, we sat at the table having to have finally finished our work.

"Whew! We're finally done," I said wiping my brow. "Geez. Do you have to do this all the time, Mira?"

"Not all the time," she replied. "Some of the other female workers in the guild do the duties I do too, but only on certain days. It was just my turn for today. But you were a big help today, Willy. I really appreciate your help."

"Anytime Mira," I said with a small smile. "It's the least I can do. Say Mira... since we're here taking a break and all, why don't we catch up? For old times sake?"

"Sure," said Mira. "What do you wanna talk about?"

"Well... what's happened over the past years while I was gone?" I asked. "I mean everything that's happened up till today."

Mira hummed tapping her finger on her chin. "Let's see... where do I begin? Well... a lot of stuff happened actually."

Mira and I then talked with Mira telling me everything that had happened over the past few years. When Happy was born, when she, Laxus, and Erza passed the S class trial to become S class wizard, and even the war between Fairy Tail and Phantom Lord and the Battle of Fairy Tail. But the one that had me curious and one she left out was when she, Elfman, and Lisanna went out on the job where Lisanna had died. I wanted to ask her about it, but I thought it would be best if I asked her later since she was in such a good mood.

"And then after that, Master exiled Laxus from the guild," finished Mira.

"Well that is to be expected," I said. "I mean after all he did just throw the entire guild into chaos by turning everyone against each other. So with him gone, does that mean that you, Erza, and Mystogan are the only S class wizards left?"

"Not really," said Mira. "There's one more. And he's considered to be the strongest S class wizard ever. In fact, I'd say that he's the strongest wizard Fairy Tail's ever had. His name is Gildarts."

"Gildarts? I've never heard of him," I said as I looked around the guildhall. "Is there anyway I could meet him?"

"I'm afraid not," said Mira. "Gildarts went out on a job and won't be back for quite some time."

"That's a shame. I wanted to meet him. After all, he does sound like an interesting and strong fellow," I said.

"Don't tell me you're planning to fight him?" smirked Mira. "If you are, you don't stand a chance against him."

"Don't worry. I'm not like Natsu," I chuckled. "I'm not stupid enough to go toe-to-toe with an S class wizard. Well... unless I know I can win of course."

"You never know Willy. You were able to go toe-to-toe with Erza before," said Mira. "If you trained a little more, I'm sure that you'll be a pretty strong S class wizard in no time."

I couldn't help, but laugh. "You flatter me," I said. "I didn't even stand a chance against Erza and she didn't even use her armor. But thanks for the compliment."

Mira giggled a little. Then her looked towards another direction with a wistful look in her eyes. "You know something Willy?" she said. "I know I probably haven't said this before, but... I'm really glad that you're here. It's been kinda lonely around here. I know I have friends here, but it hasn't been the same without you."

"What do mean by that?" I asked.

Mira then shook her head. "Sorry. It's just that... it's really great that I finally have had the chance to talk to you," she said. "I mean... it's been six years since we last talked, but it feels like it's been forever."

"Yeah... no kidding," I agreed. "You know... it's funny. We've been through who knows what kinds of hell and here we are smiling and laughing away. I didn't even think that I'd become a Fairy Tail wizard." I paused before looking back at Mira. "I'm really glad that I became a member Mira. If I didn't, I don't know where'd I be right now."

Mira looked at me and a warm smile graced her lips. "Me too," she said. "I'm glad that you're here too. All of us are."

I smiled back at her feeling very happy with her statement. Then I heard a voice call out to me.

"Willy! Could you come over here please?"

I turned to my right and saw that Makarov was waving over to me at the bar. Team Natsu with the exception of Erza and Fried were also there too. Me and Mira then walked on over to see him.

"What's up Master?" I asked.

"Well, I would like for you to go with Wendy, Happy, and Fried a job in Onibas," said Makarov. "I'm not too keen on letting her go by herself, so I want you join them just to be safe."

"If that's what you want, Master," I said. "I'd be happy to help."

"What?!" cried Happy with shock.

"That's like super random!" exclaimed Natsu, Lucy, and Gray.

I looked at Mira wondering what was going on, but she shrugged her shoulders not having clue.

* * *

 _Don't forget to fav and PM if you want to give me any pointers or questions._

 _Dragoman out!_


	66. Chapter 66 Team Wendy's First Job Part 1

_Here's the next one!_

 _Enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter 66

Team Wendy's First Job Part 1

It didn't take long for Natsu and the others to explain what was going on. Wendy was hoping to go out on a job in Onibas by herself to help a man who owned a owner of theater who was in dire need of a wizard to soothe his heart named Rabian. A man of which Team Natsu had a bad history with. Apparently he worked them to the bone on in a train wreck of a play called "Frederich and Angelica." Carla was against Wendy going on the job as well due to being worried for Wendy's safety and thinking the job was shady, but Wendy refused to listen to her and insisted that she was going anyway. Carla then refused to go with her which made Wendy want to take the job herself which lead to Makarov making the team that I was currently in.

I didn't have any problems with going with Wendy and Happy, but meeting Fried Justine was a new one for me. From what I can gather from what Mira told me, he's a man who has major loyalty to Laxus, his magic is a form of letter magic called Dark Écriture which granted him the ability to write runes and enchantments, and he was also a member as well as the leader of a team of Laxus' elite bodyguards called the Thunder God Tribe. While this was the first time I've met the man, I had no problems working with him.

After a while, we all prepared to go out on the job and were soon standing outside of the guildhall ready to depart with Mira, Natsu, Makarov and a few others seeing us off.

"Well then, I guess we'll be on our way now," said Wendy.

"Try to be careful out there guys," warned Gray. "Seriously."

"Hey Fried, you better not let anything happen to our girl," winked Cana. "You hear me?"

"I swear on my honor, I will keep her safe," said Fried.

"That goes for you too, Willy," said Mira. "Make sure you take care of Wendy and teach her a lot of things, OK?"

"This is only my second job," I chuckled giving her a thumbs up. "But I'll do my best."

"Remember that this is a learning experience for Wendy," said Makarov. "So please keep your involvement to a minimum."

Happy who was less than happy about the team that was formed was complaining. "Aye sir..." he grumped. "But why us four?"

"Chin up Happy. Look on the bright side," I said trying to soothe things over. "Think of it as a learning experience not just for Wendy, but for us too."

And with that, the four of us departed heading to Magnolia Station.

* * *

 **NO POV**

Everyone watched as the strange team set off. Needless to say, everyone felt a bit worried.

"It it really OK to let Wendy go like this?" asked Lucy. "I mean... will she be alright?"

"I don't really think that there's anything to worry about," said Reedus. "Especially since that Fried and Willy are with her."

"But... he's so weird, serious, and aloof," pointed out Cana. "I can never get a read on that guy. Not to mention that this is Willy's second job."

"I wouldn't be so worried," said Mira. "This may be Willy's second job, but he knows a thing or too about things. Not to mention he's quite adaptable in certain situations. They'll be just fine."

Then Mira noticed Carla who was now watching worriedly as Wendy and the others disappeared into the distance.

"You know Carla, if you're that worried about Wendy, you can still catch up with her," she said.

"Who said that I was worried?" asked Carla huffily. "Wendy has made her decision to go on that job and I have no intention of going after her."

Mira could only sigh as Carla then went back into the guild in a huff.

* * *

 **WILLY'S POV**

We walked through town until we eventually arrived at Magnolia Station. The place looked very busy if not more so than before. We headed straight for the train bound for Onibas, but then there was trouble. One of the conductors that ran the train stood on top of a platform and spoke through a megaphone.

"Attention please! Due to a wreck on the tracks, the train to Onibas is not in service!" the man said. "I repeat, the train bound for Onibas Station will not be in service!"

"Well if that doesn't take the biscuit," I said.

"It would seem that our first trial has appeared," commented Fried. "How shall we proceed this?"

Happy then spread his big white wings via Aera Magic. "I'm pretty sure that I can always fly you there," he said. "After all I can use Aera Magic."

"That's a good idea Happy," I said. "I can use my Aqua Wings too."

Wendy then shook her head. "That's really nice of you two, but I'm supposed to do as much of this job as I can on my own," she said. "So if you two don't mind, I'd prefer to walk all the way to Onibas."

Me and Happy stared at the bluenette in surprise.

"What...?! You can't be serious!" protested Happy. "It'll take us forever to get there by foot!" He then flew over to the green-haired swordsman. "Come on Fried! Say something! Talk some sense into her!"

Fried then hummed deep in thought. Then he gave his response. "Indeed. I'll have to agree," he said.

"You see? Even Fried agrees with me!" said Happy.

At first, Happy thought that Fried was agreeing with him, but he was wrong.

"I too shall walk," said Fried.

Happy fell straight to the floor with shock while me and Wendy looked at Fried while he explained.

"It is my primary duty to respect Wendy's decisions and support her during this job," he said. "It is the one rule that Master gave me and therefore I must follow it."

Wendy grinned. "Thank you so much, Mr. Fried," she said.

"But... are you sure that this is the best way to go about this Wendy?" I asked. "I mean in my opinion, it would be a lot faster using our wings. If we walked all the way to Onibas, you might get too exhausted to handle the job. You should try to think smarter, not harder."

"At least Willy gets it," muttered Happy.

"I understand Willy and I get it," said Wendy. "But I'll be fine. Don't worry. I'll be OK walking."

"Are you really sure?" I asked. "Because Happy and I don't mind helping you. I mean after all we are your teammates."

"I know, but I still think that we should walk," insisted Wendy. "Or... is that not OK?"

Wendy then looked at me with a begging look in her eyes. I could see that she was sticking to the plan and that was that, so I had no choice but to accept it.

"Alright then," I said. "If that's what you wanna do, then I shall walk as well."

Wendy's smile then returned. "Thank you so much for listening to me Willy," she said.

"Are we seriously going to walk all the way there?!" complained Happy.

"Well, if you want to be more precise," said Fried. "Me, Wendy, and Willy are going to be doing the walking. You on the other hand, will no doubt fly."

Happy glared at Fried. "And what in the heck kind of difference does that make?!" he snapped.

"Accuracy can make a world of difference," spoke Fried simply. "As an enchantment user, I must always be precise with my words."

"Either way, it's gonna take forever to get there," groaned Happy.

"Look on the bright side Happy, think of it as a learning experience," I said. "We're not gonna get anywhere if you keep complaining."

"Willy's right. I'd like to get there by sunset," Wendy said. "So let's get going."

Then the four of us left Magnolia Station and were on our way to Onibas with only our legs as a means of transportation.

* * *

Soon enough, we were walking through the forest. I really didn't mind walking that much due to the training I did back when I was little. Not only did it help me stay in shape, but it made me appreciate nature as well. We walked for quite a long time before Happy started complaining again.

"Geez... this is crazy," he groaned. "I still can't believe we're walking to Onibas..."

"I'm sorry if I'm putting you guys through all this trouble," apologized Wendy. "I must be making this job more difficult."

"No need to apologize," said Fried. "You're our comrade after all."

"Fried's right. Pay no attention to Happy," I added. "I'm just surprised that he's so tired when all he's been doing is flying."

"Come on you guys..." Happy continued. "Can't we please take a break now?"

"I don't think that's a good idea," replied Wendy. "There's a thunderstorm coming pretty soon."

"How do you know that?" I asked. "Can you sense the weather or something with your Sky Dragon Magic?"

"Yes. I can use my magic to read the air currents in the sky and then I can predict the weather," explained Wendy.

"Wow. That's pretty cool," I said. "Kinda like me sensing water currents. And you say that there's gonna be a thunderstorm coming?"

"Oh come on Willy. That can't be," scoffed Happy. "The weather looks so nice today. There's no way that a thunderstorm could..."

But then, the sky turned dark and dark clouds loomed over the sky. And with a mighty flash of lightning and a boom of thunder, rain came pouring down right on top of us. Happy immediately took back what he said.

"This weather's horrible!" he cried.

"We need to hurry and get out of the rain!" said Wendy.

I then saw a cave that was a few feet away from us. "Over there! Let's take shelter in that cave," I said.

We then ran towards the cave until we made it inside. Then we noticed that Fried was still standing outside of the rain seeming to be desperate about something.

"What the heck is he doing?" I wondered to myself.

"Laxus! I need your guidance!" he yelled to the sky. "I've always followed you for years in my time in the Thunder God Tribe. How would you deal with a situation like this? I need to know the rules! Answer me Laxus!"

"How about you get out of the rain for starters?!" I called out.

"Come on Mr. Fried!" Wendy also called. "We found a cave!"

Fried immediately calmed down and joined us in the cave feeling relieved. "That's much better," he said as he brushed off the rain from his clothes. "It would seem that inaction proved to be the correct choice after all."

"Um... Fried, what are you talking about?" I wondered. "Not to mention that you were yelling something about Laxus."

Fried smiled. "It's nothing you needn't concern yourself with Sir Willy. Don't mind me."

I raised a brow still wondering, but I chose to let it go.

"Sometimes I really start to wonder what's going on in that head of yours," said Happy.

"In any case, we might as well stay in this cave until it stops raining," said Wendy. "It might take a while though."

"Well then, you guys better keep dry in here," I said. "As for me, I'm gonna take advantage of this."

I then stood up and walked out of the cave letting the water drop all over my body. I also hung my mouth open tasting the rain on my tongue.

"Hey Willy! What are you doing?!" I heard Happy ask incredulously.

I then looked back at the blue cat. "What's it look like I'm doing? I'm drinking the rain," I said. "I mean after all I am a water dragon slayer. Might as well replenish my strength."

"Oh yeah! You can drink all kinds of water to restore your magic power!" said Wendy. "And that includes rain water!"

"Correct!" I smirked as I let my mouth open once again and resumed drinking the rain water. "And may I say, this rainwater is delicious!"

* * *

 **NO POV**

As Willy continued to stand in the rain drinking the rainwater, someone was watching him in the shadows. He was a a young man who wore a vest and a pair of jeans that were tattered and ripped. He then pulled out a paper and took a look at it and then looked back and forth at it and Willy. He then flashed a dark smile.

"No doubt about it. It's him alright," he said to himself. "Wait till I tell the guys about this."

He then raced off as fast as his feet could carry him. He didn't stop running until he ran a few miles away from the cave. He soon reached a camp where a group of other people were camping out. The man ran pass them until he came to a tent. He then walked inside to find another man sitting in there.

The man was pretty big and muscular, wore a big opened fur coat that covered his body, pants, and boots. He also had short black hair and eyes that appeared to be one of a cat's that were bright blue.

When the man came in, he turned around giving a growl that gave his visitor the shivers.

"What is it?" he asked. "And this better be good."

"S-s-sorry for bothering you D-don Ghira sir," said the man. "B-but I have news. Y-you know that boy who's on the wanted poster? W-well he's here. In the forest sir."

The man who was addressed as Don Ghira turned around at stared his subordinate with his blue eyes.

"What did you say?" he asked quietly.

"Th-the boy on the wanted poster sir," stammered the man. "I-I-I've seen him sir. H-he's here in this forest along with a couple of other wizards."

Don Ghira turned around fully not taking his eyes off of the man. The visitor trembled in fear even more thinking that his boss would strike him down or kill him, but to his surprise the man turned his head back not looking at the man.

"How very fortuitous," he said. "How very fortuitous indeed. Here I was hoping to find that boy in my spare time, but now he's just within reach and all I have to do is collect him." He then looked back at the his subordinate. "Are you sure that you saw him?"

"Y-yes Don Ghira sir," said the man.

"Then I want you to go out and with a squad," said Don Ghira. "You will find him and bring him to me. Use whatever force is necessary."

"Yes sir!" said the man as he stepped out of the tent inadvertently leaving the poster behind.

As soon as he left, Don Ghira picked up the wanted poster of Willy of which the man dropped and looked at it.

"So this boy is known as The Traitor of the Baram Alliance eh?" he said to himself. "The boy what was once known as Shark of the Oración Seis. If that's the case, then I shouldn't underestimate the boy. There's no telling how strong he'll be... However once we catch him, we of the Black Tiger guild will reap the rewards and become the most wealthiest dark guild in the world."

He then clenched his fist crunching up the papers and flashed a smile exposing his razor sharp fangs which glowed in the darkness.

* * *

 **WILLY'S POV**

After a while, the rain had finally stopped. However, the sun was beginning to set making the sky a peach orange color.

"Finally! I'm glad the rain let up," sighed Happy with relief.

"Yes, but it's going to be dark soon," said Wendy. "I'm afraid that we'll have to sleep outside for the night."

"Well at least we have that cave serving as our shelter," said Fried. "But there is the issue of provisions."

"Yeah. I agree," I nodded. "We better find some dinner then."

"Hey Fried. It's not cheating to help us find food you know," said Happy. "Even Master would tell you that it's a health and safety issue."

"I agree with Happy, Fried," I said. "I mean the last thing we want is for everyone to faint from hunger and I know what that's like."

"Fear not. I am fully cognizant of my obligation of what to do and what not to do on this mission," said Fried. "In fact, I have already determined the best source of nutrition and have taken steps to procure it."

"Oh wow! Really?! That's great!" said Wendy excitedly her eyes seeming to sparkle.

"This guy may be super weird, but that's the leader of the Thunder God Tribe for you!" said Happy."I guess there's a good reason why master sent him with us."

"Hey. What about me?" I asked flatly.

Fried then drew his sword from his belt and waved it in front of him causing strange purple letters to appear forming a large square around us.

"Within the bounds of this enchantment," he said. "Wingfish shall fall from the sky!"

At his command, wingfish began raining down from the sky forming a large pile in front of us. Wendy was amazed. I however slightly paled at the sight of them. I've eaten all kinds of fish back when I was little, but one of the most disgusting I've ever eaten the type of fish that was raining down before us. I could stillt remember the day when I first ate one.

* * *

 _A young Willy was fishing in the ocean hoping to catch some dinner. He hadn't caught anything and he was feeling a bit impatient._

 _"Man... I haven't caught a single thing," he complained._

 _He then lied on his back while looking up towards the sky. Then something caught his eye. Something was flying high in the sky just above him. At first he didn't know what that was, but when he squinted his eyes, he could see what it was. A fish with a pair of wings._

 _"What the heck?! A fish! And it's got wing!" he exclaimed._

 _His stomach then let out a growl and that was when he decided to catch it. Using his Water Dragon Aqua Jet, Willy rocketed himself into the sky straight at the wingfish._

 _Soon enough, Willy caught the wingfish and was cooking it over a fire. When it was done, Willy was ready to eat. Just then, Aquadia came up to him._

 _"Hello my son," she said. "Eating some lunch?"_

 _"Yup. I'm going to try a fish I've never eaten before!" Willy said grinning. "I can't wait to chow down."_

 _Willy took the fish out of the fire and was about to eat it. Then Aquadia noticed the fish she was eating. This made her worried._

 _"Um... Willy? I don't think you should be eating that," she said. "That fish isn't really edible."_

 _"Oh come on Mama. I've eaten a lot of fish," Willy said. "I bet this one's tasty too!"_

 _Then Willy took a bite. The moment he did, his face turned blue with disgust and he automatically spat it out and dunked his head in the water to wash out his mouth. After a few seconds, he came up and wiped his tongue._

 _"That was totally gross!" he complained. "What kind of fish is that?!"_

 _"I'm afraid that was a wingfish my boy," chuckled Aquadia. "They may be fish with wings, but they're not tasty type of fish. I learned that the hard way once before."_

 _"Blech! Wingfish are terrible!" I cried in disgust. "I'm never gonna eat one these things again!_

* * *

"W-wingfish?!" I groaned.

"But why?!" asked Happy.

"Their annual migratory path flows directly over this region," explained Fried. "They come here in flocks at this time of year, so they can find their mates and spawn."

Wendy curiously picked up a fish inspecting it. "So... are these things even edible?" she asked.

Happy shook his head. "I wouldn't exactly call them "edible"," he said. "I remember catching some once and they tasted super gross."

"So you've tasted one too? I know what that's like," I said shivering from the memory. "I've had the displeasure of tasting one myself and it was one of the grossest things I've ever tasted."

Fried then chuckled seeming to be brimming with confidence. "That was no doubt an assertion made by a couple of amateurs," he said. "It from the sound of it, you both tried to grill them. The flaw doesn't lie with the fish, but the preparation of handling them. It takes skill to bring out their natural flavor. A skill of which I'm a master of. I'm also not one to boast, but my comrades of the Thunder God Tribe are rather fond of my cooking and I believe you would be too."

The winged then slowly began to rise up all around Fried and with a few whips of his sword, he cut the meat away from the bones on them and then began to cook them in every which way. Me, Wendy, and Happy all watched in amazement as Fried kept on showing off his cooking skills until he finished. Before us now was a table filled with various different dishes made out of the wingfish.

Happy and Wendy were impressed. I was impressed with this as well, but I was uninterested with the many plates of wingfish.

"This is a nice surprise! I didn't know you could cook Mr. Fried!" said Wendy with wonder.

"Yeah! No kidding! It all looks so good!" said Happy drooling hungrily.

"Presentation is very important after all," said Fried as he took a seat. "Now, please, eat up. And I hope you enjoy the flavor as well."

Happy and Wendy eagerly sat down at the table while I stood there not wanting to eat. No matter how fancy it looked, it was still wingfish and I had the sneaking suspicion that it was going to taste bad. Besides, all this talk of fish had me wanting to catch my own fish.

"What's wrong Willy?" asked Wendy. "Aren't you gonna eat?"

"No thanks," I said. "I'm gonna go ahead and catch my own fish."

"Aw come on Willy. Come on and have some!" urged Happy. "It's not everyday that we get to eat a fish buffet like this! Besides, Fried said that he cooked the fish the proper way! Maybe it'll be better!"

"Sorry, but no thanks," I said. "You guys have your fill if you want, but I'm gonna get some real fish."

And with that, I turned and walked off.

"Suit yourself then," said Happy. "You're gonna be missing out!"

"Thank you for the food," I heard Wendy and Happy say.

I couldn't help, but turn around wanting to see their reaction. As soon as they put their forks in their mouths, both of their faces went as blue as Wendy's hair and Happy's fur. Then they put their forks down not wanting to taste the bad flavor again.

"It tastes just as exactly the same as when I made it," said Happy. "I guess it isn't about how you prepare it after all."

"I hate to say I told you so, but I told you so," I said chuckling.

"I think I saw some nuts and berries over a bush," said Wendy. "Let's eat some of those."

"Aye," agreed Happy.

"Hey. I've got a better idea," I said. "Why don't you two come with me and I'll show you guys how to get some real fish?"

Wendy's face immediately brightened. "Really? You'll help us?"

"Of course I will," I grinned. "I mean after all, I am a member of this team. And I know that Master said not to be involved as much as possible, but in a situation like this I have no choice. Besides, I know a thing or two about surviving like this. I did learn from Aquadia and Master Tu-Chi after all."

"But where are you gonna find fish around here?" asked Happy. "In case you haven't noticed, there isn't exactly a river or a lake or something."

"That's what you think," I said. "Just leave it to me."

I then placed my hand on the ground and closed my eyes.

"AQUA SENSE."

In my mind, sensed all around the area searching for any form of water. So far, I could sense nothing, but Wendy, Happy, and Fried who were close to me and some animals that happened to be in the area. Then I saw it. A feet away from where we were standing, I could see a body of water just to the right. I then opened my eyes and pointed to my right.

"Over there. I'm sensing a river just about a few feet away from us," I said.

"Seriously? How do you know that?" asked Happy.

"Easy. I used my Aqua Sense spell," I explained. "It allows me to sense water. From the rivers and lakes to the water inside us living things."

"I've always heard about your Aqua Sense, but this is the first time I've seen you use it," said Wendy.

"Sounds like a bunch of hooey to me," said Happy grumpily.

"Come on. I'll lead you guys to the river," I said as I walked ahead of them ignoring Happy's comment. "And while we're at it, we can pick some nuts and berries along the way." I then looked back at Fried who was still sitting on the table eating the meal he prepared. "You coming Fried? You're gonna get sick from eating all those wingfish."

Fried shook his head. "Nutrition must always trump flavor," he said. "We wizards must keep our strength at any cost. And in addition, one must not waste food no matter how terrible or good."

"Suit yourself then," I said.

We then walked into the forest with me leading the way. After a few minutes of walking, we all heard the sound of gurgling water. We pushed past some tree and we came to a river just like I thought we would.

"Oh wow! There is a river! Just like you said, Willy!" cried Wendy.

"That's amazing! Guess you were telling the truth after all!" said Happy.

"Oh? You're sure it's not just "a bunch of hooey" Happy?" I smirked cheekily.

Happy then bowed respectfully on his paws and knees. "I am so sorry to have doubted you great Master," he said.

I then walked to the river and dipped my hand into the water testing out the water.

"The streams a little bit shallow, but there should be some fish swimming down here," I said to myself. "Alright then. I'm gonna fish right here."

"You're gonna fish? Right now?" asked Wendy.

"But it'll take forever to fish," complained Happy. "It's almost nighttime and there's no way you'll be able to catch fish right now. Besides, don't you need to have a fishing pole to fish?"

"Not the way I fish," I laughed. "Who needs a pole when I can use my hands?"

I then took off my shirt and my shorts and stretched. Then I stood on the edge of the water preparing to do my thing.

"Willy?! What the heck are you doing?!" I heard Happy cry.

I looked to see that Wendy was blushing bright pink while covering her eyes and Happy was gawking at me as if he had seen a ghost.

"What's it look like I'm doing? I'm gonna fish," I said.

"But why did you take off your clothes?!" exclaimed Happy. "You're not Gray you know! Not to mention that there's a lady here!"

"Well, I always do this when I'm fishing," I replied with a shrug. "I don't see what the big deal is. I used to fish with Aquadia like this all the time and she didn't care. Besides, being like this helps me focus."

I then put on my game face and focused my eyes intently in the water searching for anything that moved. Then I saw it. Just a few feet away in the water, I saw a big silver fish. I slowly made my way towards it not wanting to frighten it. Then when I was close enough, I pounced like a cat into the water with a splash. And then I stood up holding the fish by the tail proudly.

"Haha! I caught em!" I proclaimed proudly.

Happy and Wendy stared at me in amazement. Then the two of them applauded.

"Wow! You actually caught a fish with your bare hands!" said Happy. "That was awesome!"

"Hold on a sec," I said. "I'll try to get two more for you two. Shouldn't take me that much longer. In the meantime, keep an eye on my catches OK?"

I then went over to the bank and then set down the fish. Then I went back into the stream taking my stance. It wasn't long before I managed to catch a couple more fish for Wendy and Happy. When I was done, I came out of the stream shook my hair getting the water out and also putting my clothes back on.

"That was incredible, Willy!" said Wendy. "I had no idea you were so skilled at fishing!"

"Yeah! You're like a fishing genius or something!" said Happy.

"I'm just doing what I was taught," I said with a smirk while grabbing the fish. "Anyway, let's get back to the cave. Fried's probably getting worried."

"Aye sir!" responded Happy.

* * *

Later, we made it back to the cave and we took the fresh fish we caught and grilled them over a fire. We also ate some nuts and berries that Wendy and Happy found.

"That was good," sighed Happy patting his stomach. "Best fish I've had for a long time."

"I know. That was pretty tasty fish," said Wendy. "Thank you very much, Willy. You really helped us out."

"It's no big deal," I said. "Glad to be of some help to you guys."

"I'll admit that your style of fishing was a bit weird and surprised me a little bit," said Happy. "But Aquadia's definitely taught you something right if you can fish that well."

I chuckled sheepishly while scratching my cheek. "It's really no big deal," I said smiling. "Like I said before, just doing what I was taught."

"Speaking of Aquadia, I was wondering," said Wendy. "She's your dragon right? And did she really teach you how to fish like that?"

"Pretty much," I replied. "She taught me how fish they way you just saw right now." I then looked up at the sky remembering. "I remember the first time I've fished and it wasn't like anything like now. Back in those days, I was still using a fishing pole. Seeing this, Aquadia taught me a better and faster way to catch some. Although, I would have preferred it if the water was deep. It's great to swim in deep waters when you're fishing."

"Well, that makes sense since you're a water dragon slayer," smiled Wendy. "You must really love to swim, huh?"

"You bet I do," I grinned. "I wouldn't be much of a water dragon if I didn't love to swim."

"Did Aquadia teach you how to swim too?" asked Happy.

"Nope. That was thanks to my Mama and Papa," I said. "Aquadia only improved my swimming technique, but the very first people to teach me how to swim was and always will be my Mama and Papa." I leaned back on my shoulders still gazing into the sky feeling nostalgic from remembering my childhood. "I can still remember those days... Ever since they taught me how to swim, we would always swim or go fishing together without a care in the world. It was so much fun and we've never been happier. That was... until..."

I trailed off having to begun remembering the attack from my village which left me all by myself and alone. And that began to make me feel a little sad and missing my parents.

"Willy? Are you OK?" I heard Happy ask. "You seem a bit sad now."

"Oh. Sorry about that," I said shaking my head. "My thoughts just wandered, that's all."

Wendy and Happy looked at each other seeming to be worried about me, but I put on my best smile trying not to let them worry about me. I then stood up and stretched my limbs.

"Alright then. I think we should try to get some sleep," I said. "We're still a long way from Onibas, so we should try and get as much rest as we can."

"Oh yeah. I forgot about that," groaned Happy. "Man..."

Wendy then let out a tiny yawn. "I agree," she said. "I am getting a bit sleepy."

I then conjured a ball of water in my hand and threw it on the fire putting it out. Then the three of us went inside the cave. Inside, Fried was sitting on the floor appearing to have been waiting for us.

"It would appear that you all have had your fill," he said. "Now it's time for us to go to sleep."

"Well, good night guys," I said as I lied on the ground. "Sleep well."

Fried,Wendy, and Happy all said their good nights as well. I then closed my eyes and breathed in and out slowly getting my breathing rhythm then after a while, I fell fast asleep.

* * *

 **NO POV**

The woods was silent after Team Wendy had fallen asleep. The only sounds were the night dwellers that were active in the night. And not just them that was awake either. A couple of other creatures were awake too. These creatures were out for blood and not just any blood either. They didn't want any animal or any thing, they wanted one thing in particular and they would what they wanted to appease their leader.

And that thing that they wanted... would be the blood of the traitorous shark...

* * *

 _If you want to give me some pointers or ideas, you know what to do!_

 _PM me or check me out in other sites like Deviantart!_

 _Dragoman out!_


	67. Chapter 67 Team Wendy's First Job Part 2

_Next chapter up!_

* * *

Chapter 67

Team Wendy's First Job Part 2

I was in a deep and peaceful sleep along with the others. Everything was peaceful and there was not a sound to be heard. Then something wafted into my nose. At first I didn't know what it was, but then my eyes opened as I slowly sat up.

"This scent... what is that?" I wondered to myself. "I smell something, but... I can't tell what it is."

I then placed my hand on the ground using my Aqua Sense to try and sense what I was smelling. In my mind, I could sense the animals, but I couldn't detect anything else. This was to be expected. After all, my Aqua Sense could only cover so far. However, this didn't ease my sense of danger. That was when I decided to head to the river. If I could get to that river, my Aqua Sense would be a lot stronger than before and I would be able to detect the enemy if there was one.

I looked over to Happy and Wendy making sure that they were still asleep. Thankfully they were sleeping peacefully. I then looked over at Fried and I saw that he was fast asleep as well. I slowly stood up and quietly walked out of the cave, so I wouldn't wake anyone up. Then once I made sure that I was out of the cave and far enough away from the three, I then took off running at full speed.

"If there is an enemy around here," I thought to myself. "I gotta see that it's not a total threat. If it is, I have to make sure I handle it, so that Wendy and the others will be safe."

I soon reached the river which was gurgling and babbling like it was before. I looked around keeping a eye out for anything suspicious, but there wasn't anything to be seen. Not only that, but the scent that I smelled from before was completely gone. The only scent that I could smell was the water in the river.

"That's weird," I thought to myself. "I thought for sure I smelled something. I couldn't have imagined it."

I warily continued to look around checking all of my surroundings. I slowly walked up to the river just getting close to its edge. I bent over and was just about to dip my hand into the water so I could use it to extend my Aqua Sense, but then I stopped. I was sensing something. Something was here and it was coming from one location. Right behind me. I stood motionless like a statue for a few seconds and then I created a water shuriken with my hands and immediately flung it behind me. The water shuriken shot through the air disappearing into the bushes. I heard something hit with a thunk as a startled scream came from the bushes.

"Who's there?! Come out and show yourself!" I yelled. "Or the next one's gonna hit something else other than a tree!"

Then a man stepped out of the bushes. He wore a shirt that was white with a blue jacket and a pair of jeans that were grey with simple brown shoes. He was a bit tan skinned with bushy eye brows and beady eyes.

"Hey! What the hell's your problem your bastard?!" he snapped at me. "You could have killed me you know!"

"Well maybe you shouldn't have snuck up on me," I shot back. "Now who are you? What are you doing here and what do you want?"

"It doesn't matter who I am," smirked the man. "The only thing you need to know is that me and my friends are hunting for a shark and you just so happen to know the type of shark that we're looking for!"

"What do you mean by that?" I demanded.

Just then, the sounds of chuckling could be heard. Then from the bushes, a mob of people emerged from the trees and the bushes surrounding me. Some of them were carrying weapons in the form of swords and club while some others were radiating with magic power from their hands meaning they were wizards. I also happened to notice that all of them had a weird symbol that was some kind of paw holding a head of a cat.

"So I take it all of you guys are a part of a guild huh?" I said. "And I get the feeling it's not one of those legal guilds."

"That's right punk," said Bushy Brows. "We are the members of the dark guild known as the Black Tiger!"

"Black Tiger? I must say I've never heard of that guild," I said. "So what does a dark guild want with me?"

"Isn't it obvious? We've come here because we're hunting for a shark," said Bushy Brows. "And that shark happens to be you. If you know what's good for you, you'd better come with us otherwise we're gonna have to rough you up a bit."

"And why would I come with a bunch of thugs like you?" I asked. "Surely you realize I can beat all of you in a couple of minutes?"

Bushy Brows stared at me. Then he along with all of his friends laughed.

"Give me a break! Do you really think you can take us on by yourself?" he asked scornfully. "You don't stand a chance! In fact, the best thing to do for you to do is surrender now!"

I looked around at the circle of Black Tiger members that surrounded me. From the looks of things, I'd say that there was a total of over at least thirty of them. They didn't look very strong and didn't seem that much of a threat to me. However there was the issue of us being a few miles away from the cave. I then made a plan.

"I can take these guys," I thought to myself. "But I have to lure them away from the cave, so I don't wake up Wendy and the others. And I know just the way to do it."

"I hate to break it to you, but I'm not the type who would just automatically surrender just for being overwhelmed by numbers," I spoke. "Besides, you're the ones who should be surrendering right now. In fact, I'm gonna give you all a chance to walk away to save yourselves the shame of getting beaten up, by 'one guy.' Give up and tell me why you know so much about me and are after me and maybe I'll let you go."

Bushy Brows was now scowling with anger. "What'd you say?!" he growled. "Who the hell do you think you are making demands?! We're the ones in control here!"

"Sorry about that. I just wanted to be nice and have you people leave with some shred of dignity left," I smirked. "I don't want to hurt anyone. Physically and mentally."

"Who does this guy think he is?!"

"Arrogant little punk!"

"Is he messing with us?!"

The people that surrounded me were now getting really cross. Bushy Brows especially was more mad than before. So much so that I could see the veins popping out of forehead.

"OK! That's it!" yelled Bushy Brows angrily. "Now you gone and pissed us off! We'll teach you not to mess with Black Tiger! Let's get him boys! Charge!"

At his command, Bushy Brows and his army came running straight at me from all sides. I crackled my knuckles and waited for them to get close. As soon as they were, I jumped into the air and then landed just behind him and took off running and jumping into the trees.

"Hey! The coward's running away!" Bushy Brows yelled. "After him!"

The mob of Black Tiger members than chased after me in hot pursuit. As they chased me, I hopped from tree branch to tree branch making sure that they had me in their sights. Some of the members began firing arrows and beams of magic power, but I was able to dodge them all with ease. The chase continued until I could see an open area just ahead. I took a giant leap into the air and landed in the middle of the area just as Bushy Brows and the others caught up with me. Some of them were a bit out of breath and were huffing and puffing gulping some air. Bushy Brows was a bit out of breath himself.

"So... you gave up huh?" he panted. "Did you really think that you could run from us? Well think again! Because now we got you right where we want you!"

"On the contrary," I said now cracking my knuckles. "It is I that has you right where I want you. You see, now that we're in this open area here, I can cut loose and kick your sorry butts to hell."

"Go ahead and try!" scoffed Bushy Brows. "You're just bluffing! Get em, boys!"

The mob of wizards once again charged straight at me, but this time I stayed put. Everything was going exactly as I planned. First, I had to lead them away from the cave were Wendy and the others were, so they couldn't hear the sounds of the fight. Second, have these Black Tiger guys chase me, so they could get a little tired from the running. It was a bit of a simple tactic, but it was somewhat effective. But now, I could focus on taking out these Black Tiger wizards.

A few of the wizards raised their weapons while jumping into the air, dive-bombing straight at me. I summoned my water blades twirling them a little and with them poised, I dashed straight at them and then went on the attack. I rapidly slashed at them cutting at their bodies and their swords at the same time. Eight bodies then fell to the ground stunned and knocked out.

"You bastard!" I heard someone yell. "Let's see if you can handle this! Blast him!"

I looked to my side in time to see a few more members unleash powerful blasts of magic aimed for me. I immediately spread my water wings and took off into the air dodging the blasts. I then swooped down and in a flurry of swipes from my swords took out another seven members.

"What the hell is with this guy?!" I heard a member say. "He took out a little than half of our members in an instant!"

"Come on you morons!" Bushy Brows yelled. "Someone get him!"

A couple more wizards then unleashed blasts of magic power. I jumped back dodging the attacks causing the attacks to hit the ground. Dust kicked up billowing everywhere. I looked around through the dust trying to see where I was, but then suddenly I felt something wrap around my wrist tightly. Then my other wrist was wrapped by something, then both of my legs, and then my neck. Then the dust cleared and I saw that some of the Black Tiger wizards were using magic to make some kind of ropes to hold me.

Bushy Brows laughed with triumph. "Finally! Now we've got you! Get em! Before he breaks free!"

Three men who still had their swords then ran straight towards me with their weapons aimed to stab me.

"Oh crap! I gotta get away before...!"

* * *

 **NO POV**

But it was too late. One of the men slashed at Willy right at his midsection. Willy staggered causing him to step backwards until another sword user sliced him in the back. Willy screamed in pain as he stumbled, his blood spewing slightly as he became disoriented in pain. Then a Black Tiger member seized his chance and then tackled Willy to the ground.

"We got him! We got him!" he yelled.

"I can't believe it! We were able to get him!" said another. "Now let's finish the job!"

A few Black Tiger members rushed towards the downed water mage and raised their swords ready to deliver the finishing blow, but then Bushy Brows their leader stopped them.

"Hold it! Don't kill him you idiots!" he yelled. "Or did you guys forget already? We were supposed to keep him alive! Unless you want Don Ghira to get mad?!"

The members then paled with fear and immediately stopped lowering their weapons. Bushy Brows then walked over to Willy and inspected the damage done to his body.

"Well... he's a bit bloody, but I'm sure that Don Ghira won't mind," he thought to himself. "I mean after all, he did tell me to use whatever force was necessary."

He then smiled and then lifted up Willy's chin chuckling darkly. "What was that you were saying about ending this in few minutes?" he asked. "This is what you get for being too arrogant, you troublesome bastard," He then slapped Willy across his face mocking him snapping Willy's face to the side. "But don't worry. Don Ghira wants you alive, so we won't kill you. You're much too valuable."

"Don... Ghira? Who's... that?" Willy choked.

"If you must know, he's our guild master," said Bushy Brows. "He's the most powerful master we have in the Black Tiger guild. By the way, those wounds look pretty bad. We can take of them if you want, but before that... I want you to tell us you're sorry. If you apologize for being an arrogant bastard, me and my men will treat your wounds and that'll ease your pain."

Willy looked up at Bushy Brows as he struggled trying to say something. Bushy Brows smiled thinking that Willy was going to apologize, but then he noticed something strange. Willy began to gurgle and his body began to liquify.

"What the hell?!" exclaimed Bushy Brows.

* * *

 **WILLY'S POV**

I jumped into the air cloaking my hands with water and creating a pair of shurikens and flung them with all of my strength.

"WATER DRAGON DOUBLE STAR!"

The shurikens zipped through the air and they both hit the wizards that were holding my clone. Bushy Brows gawked at me with surprise as I landed in front of them with a smirk on my face.

"Impossible! You can't be there!" he cried. "How can you be there when you're there?! I saw it! You were trapped and you were cut and everything!"

I then walked over to my clone. "What? This little thing? That's my Water Dragon Clone." I then placed my hand on the clone and it turned into a puddle of water causing Bushy Brows and his other colleagues' jaws to drop in surprise.

"So wait, that was a fake the whole time?!" exclaimed a member.

"That's right," I said. "And that's not the only spell I can use. WATER DRAGON WING ATTACK!"

Giant torrents of water then gushed from my hands as I flung them at my enemies. The shockwave of water that I unleashed slammed into multiple enemies at once sending flying and hitting the ground. Bushy Brows was the only one that were left standing and he was now trembling in fear.

"N-no way... you took them all out with one spell..." he squeaked. "Just... what the hell are you?"

"I'm a dragon slayer from Fairy Tail," I said. "But to you, I'm just an arrogant bastard. Remember?"

Bushy Brows stared at me for a couple of seconds and then he turned tail and started to run. "Retreat! All those who can run, retreat!"

Sensing that they were in trouble, every one of the other members that were able to move took off running too. At first, I was going to let them go, but I wanted to be sure that they would never come back. So I chuffed my cheeks and took aim.

"WATER DRAGON ROAR!"

A giant blue torrent of water gushed forth from my mouth shooting straight towards Bushy Brows and his goons. The attack hit its mark and Bushy Brows and his friends were swept away by my breath attack sending them high into the air and disappearing into the sea of trees in the distance.

I wiped the sweat from my brow and let out a breath. "Whew. That takes care of that," I said to myself. "Although... I may have overdone it a little."

I then took notice of the sky. It was still dark, but I had a feeling that it was going to be morning soon, so I had to hurry back to the cave before Wendy and the others woke up. I then spread my wings and with took off into the air. Then using Aqua Jet, I rocketed all the way back to the cave as fast as I could.

Soon enough after a few minutes, I could see the cave in sight. I lowered towards the ground until I touched down gently dispersing my wings.

"I really hope Wendy and the others aren't awake yet," I thought. "The last thing I want is make the others worry. Especially since it's my problem."

I then quietly tip-toed into the cave. Wendy, Happy, and Fried were still asleep.

"Thank goodness," I whispered. "Hopefully, there won't be another attack."

I then let out a tiny yawn as I lied down on the ground feeling pretty tired. I had just closed my eyes hoping to get some sleep. However, it wasn't for very long. Right then, the morning sun's ray began to shine on the outside of the cave and Wendy and Happy were the first to wake up and Fried followed soon after.

Wendy stretched her limbs letting out a satisfying sigh. "What a beautiful morning," she said happily.

"Speak for yourself," groaned Happy who was holding his back like an old man. "That cave floor was hard."

Fried then stood up now fully awake as well. "As long as we got plenty of rest from our shelter," he said, "Any sleeping place will do. For now, we must resume our journey.

"Oh come on! You want us to start walking first thing in the morning?!" complained Happy. "Couldn't we at least get some breakfast first?!"

"No. Fried's right happy," said Wendy. "We should get going as soon as possible. We're still a long way from Onibas and we should start walking as soon as possible."

Happy groaned while I sat up still feeling a little tired myself due to the fight I just had.

"Oh well. No rest for the weary, Happy," I said. "We'll just have to try and tough it out."

"But I don't want to!" whined Happy.

But however much he complained, there was no helping it. Once we were all set to go, Team Wendy resumed walking again with Wendy, Fried and I walking and Happy using his wings.

* * *

The four of us walked on through the forest going over a few miles. Everything was going smoothly, until we eventually came to a desert. The sun had suddenly grown hot and there was hot banks of sand as far as the eye could see. It was so hot that I was beginning to feel a bit thirsty. Not to mention I was still feeling a bit tired from lack of sleep, but I continued on not saying anything.

"Geez. This is just great," groaned Happy. "One minute, we're walking on mountain trails and now we're walking across a desert."

"Just hang in there, Happy," I said. "We'll be out of this desert soon. Just try to keep flying."

"You seem to be handling the heat pretty well, Mr. Fried," spoke Wendy. "Aren't you hot?"

"Doubtful," Happy said enviously. "He's probably using some kind of enchantment to cool himself down."

"No. I would never deny my comrades comfort to claim it for my own," said Fried. "It's simply mind over matter."

I then looked over at Fried curious to see how he was handling it. I would have thought that he'd be sweating buckets considering the fact that he was wearing that large coat of his, but I could see that he was hardly sweating at all. Guess he was doing something right after all. Then Happy slowly drifted to the ground delirious and weak from heat exhaustion.

"So hot... so very hot..." he moaned weakly.

Me and Wendy immediately rushed to Happy's side feeling concerned about the blue feline.

"Happy! Are you OK?" I asked worriedly. "Hang in there."

"Don't worry. I can make him better using my healing magic," said Wendy as she hovered her hands over him making them glow in a green light.

"Wendy are you sure?" I asked. "I don't mind using my healing magic."

"It's OK. I got this," said Wendy. "Just leave it to me."

She then started healing Happy using her Sky Dragon Magic. Then Fried placed a hand on her shoulder stopping him.

"Please stop Wendy," he said. "You and Willy needn't deplete your magic like this. Allow me to handle this."

"What are you going to do, Fried?" I asked.

"Do you know some healing magic?" wondered Wendy.

Fried smiled and pointed to a rock next to us. "Just place him on that flat rock over there and I'll show you," he said.

Wendy and I did so. Then Fried then unsheathed his sword.

"Now that he's been placed on the rock, I will now inscribe the enchantment," he said as he pointed his sword to the ground making a square of purple runes appear around Happy. "Those within the bounds of this enchantment shall not feel heat!" he proclaimed.

The enchantment was now set and I was hoping Happy would feel a lot better, but I was wrong. Happy now looked hotter than before and I also began to hear a sizzling noise like something was being grilled. Me and Wendy gasped in shock as Happy was now practically being cooked on the rock.

"Guys... the rock's so hot, I'm being cooked alive," groaned Happy weakly. "I was hoping I'd never be cooked alive again."

"Gah! Happy!" I cried as I immediately chuffed my cheeks and let out a blast of water from my mouth.

The water splashed all over Happy and the rock immediately cooling them down with a hiss. I also scooped up Happy off of the rock not wanting him to go through that again.

"What the heck Fried?!" I spoke a little cross. "I thought you said that your enchantment wouldn't allow Happy to feel heat!"

"The results such as an enchantment such as this are not immediate," explained Fried calmly. "So it will take some time to take effect."

"And... I just realized something else," said Wendy. "Even if it takes effect, once Happy leaves it, isn't he just gonna feel hot again?"

I couldn't help, but face-palm myself in annoyance. "Good grief. We were better off with Wendy using her magic to help him," I sighed. "What was even the point?" I then placed Happy on my shoulder. "Alright Happy. You stay on my shoulder and rest while we keep walking."

"Aye..." mumbled Happy.

We soon set off again. It was still feeling a bit hot, but after a while Happy was starting to recover and soon felt better. However, there was now another member of our party who was starting to feel a bit unwell. That person was me. Due to the dryness and the heat of the sun and lack of sleep, I was starting to feel a little bit dehydrated. My throat and mouth felt dry and I was now starting to feel a little weak, but I didn't show it. Even if I did tell anyone, there wasn't any water to be seen in this desert which meant that my only hope was wait until we got to Onibas. So, I kept on walking with Happy on my shoulder not wanting to worry anyone.

"Hey Willy. Are you alright?" I heard Wendy ask me. "You look weak."

I jumped a little having to been noticed by Wendy. I looked at the bluenette and gave her my best smile. "Don't worry about me. I'm fine," I said. "I'm just feeling a bit hot is all. Like Fried said, it's mind over matter."

"Willy is right. We can't lose heart," said Fried. "We must keep on persevering. We shoudn't have that much far to go now."

Then suddenly Wendy stopped, her eyes going wide. Fried and I then stopped as well looking at the bluenette.

"What is it, Wendy?" I asked. "Is something the matter?"

"There's a storm coming!" Wendy spoke looking up into the sky. "I can sense it!"

"Wait! You mean as in a sandstorm?!" exclaimed Happy.

Then in the distance, I saw something that made my eyes widen. Ahead of us several meters away, was a tornado of sand whipping and lashing across the sand and it was heading right for us.

"Oh no! She's right! I can see it over there!" I cried.

"It's the type of storm this desert is known for, The cursed sandstorm!" exclaimed Fried. "It will continue to pursue us until it catches us its clutches!"

"You're kidding me?!" cried Happy fearfully. "If that's the case then we need to find a place to hide!"

"There is nowhere to hide, Happy!" I yelled. "There's nothing, but sand for miles around!"

"Then have no choice!" spoke Fried urgently. "We must run!"

The four of us took off running trying to get away from the sand as fast as we could. However, the sandstorm was getting closer and closer to us making us hear the rushing winds in the distance. Then suddenly, we saw something in front of us as we ran. Or a better way to put it, we saw some people. In front of us was a certain blonde girl that was my roommate and a white cat who were looking down in a pit looking worried.

"You gotta be kidding me!" cried Lucy. "Not even a celestial spirit can do it?!"

"Can't you do something?!" called out Carla.

"I'm afraid I can't," I heard a voice say in the pit. "Ms. Erza is way too heavy to move."

"I am not!" I heard Erza say inside the pit. "How rude!

"Lucy! Carla!" Wendy called out happily. "You're both here!"

We soon came up to them and I looked down in the pit. There in the middle of it was Erza who was stuck inside the sand along with a girl with pink hair in a maid outfit who was trying to get her out as the two of them began to sink deeper into the sand. Wendy was happy to see Carla, but Carla looked away from the girl with a huff as if she was trying not to be happy.

"So what are you guys doing here?" I asked. "And how the heck did Erza get stuck in that pit?"

"Long story short, we came because we were worried about you guys, but you seem alright," said Lucy. "And as for Erza, she fell down there and got herself stuck."

"This is quite troublesome," said Fried worriedly. "Not only is that the case, but the Cursed Sandstorm continues to bear down on us and will soon swallow this area!"

"Huh?! What do you mean Cursed Sandstorm?!" exclaimed Lucy fearfully.

Sure enough, we heard the sound of howling wind. The tornado of sand was now closer to us and if we didn't rescue Erza soon, we would be caught up in it.

"Go on without me!" called out Erza. "Save yourselves!"

"No way! We're not leaving you behind!" I yelled as I spread my water wings. "I'll help you with my Water Dragon Wings and pull you both out!"

"No Willy! Don't!" cried Fried. "If the weight is too much for you to handle, you could get dragged in with them!"

"Come on, Virgo! Don't give up!" called Lucy. "Keep trying to pull her out!"

The girl who was addressed as Virgo tried her best to pull her up, but Erza still wouldn't budge an inch. "This weight is quite perplexing," she grunted. "It's like that of a giant hunk of iron."

"A hunk of iron?" puzzled Wendy. "Do you think that it could be her armor weighing her down or something?"

"I doubt that. If it was Erza's armor, she would have sunk a long time ago," I spoke. "It has to be something she's carrying."

Erza's face turned blue with embarrassment. "I've been holding onto the theater props and costumes this entire time," she said. "I suppose... that's probably why..."

"What?!" Me and Happy screamed together.

"Well it's no wonder you're so freaking heavy!" exclaimed Lucy. "That stuff must weight a freaking ton!"

"Yes... I know," said Erza now looking sorrowful. "But... the show can't go on without them..."

"We're not even supposed to be putting on a play this time!" cried Lucy.

"Erza! I don't mean to lecture you, but wouldn't the sensible thing to do is to let them go?!" I shouted. "I mean come on! What's more important, some lousy props or your life?!"

Erza was still reluctant, so much so that she began to cry, but she had no choice. "Farewell my dear friends," she wept. "I will always treasure our time together."

Then suddenly, Virgo and Erza both shot out of the pit with Virgo carrying Erza in her arms thanks to Erza letting go of her access weight. Erza was still upset having to let go of her possessions, but at least she was free. However, we weren't out of the woods yet for right then the sandstorm was now closer than before whipping sand and wind all around.

"We're too late to escape now!" cried Carla. "The storm's right over us!"

"If we get caught in its grip, we'll never escape!" cried Fried.

Just when it seemed that all hope was lost, an unlikely hero rushed forward just a few meters away from the storm. That unlikely hero was Wendy.

"Don't be afraid!" she said bravely. "I'll take care of it somehow!"

"Wendy no!" cried Carla. "It's too dangerous!"

She was about to rush forward to her to try and stop her, but then I stopped her barring her way with my arm.

"Just stay back and watch Carla," I spoke to her. "Wendy's got this. You should have a little faith in her."

Wendy then puffed up her cheeks as her magic power flared.

"SKY DRAGON ROAR!"

A huge green hurricane erupted from her mouth and blasted the tornado of sand destroying it completely. Other than me who was smiling and Erza who was still feeling depressed about her precious props and costumes, everyone was amazed and impressed by what the little girl just did.

"She did it..." murmured Fried. "The Cursed Sandstorm's disappeared."

"Nicely done, Wendy!" I called out. "I knew you had it in ya!"

"That was totally awesome!" cheered Lucy. "You're amazing!"

"Aye sir!" agreed Happy.

Wendy blushed and giggled with embarrassment. And Carla couldn't help but smile too feeling a little proud of Wendy.

* * *

Eventually after getting our bearings and digging out Erza's props and costumes, we all resumed our journey and soon made it to Onibas and arrived at the theater. However, we would soon find an unexpected surprise awaiting us. There was a long line leading outside of the theater with Rabian, a short man with purple hair with two small round ponytails, the man that was supposed to be 'in dire need of a wizard to soothe his heart' was all smiles, grinning from ear to ear as he hid behind a pillar.

"Oh thank you! Thank you so very much!" he said. "The actors and myself have all kissed and made up and the play has even opened up to a sold out audience!"

"Are you kidding me?!" yelled Lucy indignantly. "We all risked of lives to get here and you're telling us that you don't need us?!"

"That pretty much seems the sum of it," I said simply.

"And I worked like a dog to dig these up," sobbed Erza.

"That's it... I give up," groaned Happy. "I just can't take it anymore..."

He along with Erza and Lucy fell to the ground in exhaustion and depression. Then Fried suddenly clasped his hands over his mouth looking to be very pale and about to puke.

"Fried, are you OK?" I asked.

"It... it must have been those wingfish I ate," he choked. "I think... I'm going to be sick... I... can't stand anymore..." He then fell to the ground passing out completely.

"Oh no! Mr. Fried!" cried Wendy.

"Can't say I didn't try to warn him," I sighed. "I guess those wingfish will get to anybody, no matter how much of an iron stomach you have."

Just then, we heard a familiar voice calling out to us.

"Hey you guys... I'm finally here..."

We then saw someone staggering towards us looking to be more exhausted and sick than everyone else combined. It didn't take us long to recognize the person coming due to his pink hair.

"It's Natsu!" said Wendy a bit bewildered.

"What the heck happened to you?" I asked. "You're looking sicker than Fried."

"I... I was trying to get to Onibas by riding the dang train..." Natsu groaned. "But I didn't know... that train was out of order... so I must have ridden that thing back and forth a million times..." Then Natsu fell down to the ground passed out too.

Then suddenly Rabian came out from behind his pillar looking very cross. "Hey! Loitering in front of my theater is bad for business!" he barked. Then he looked at me and Wendy. "You two! Please remove these vagrants from my property. It's a big job I know, but I'll gladly pay you both for it."

"Huh?!"

Me and Wendy were surprised, but before we could say anything more, Rabian was already walking back inside of the theater. "Please get to it. Remove these people and you'll get paid," he said. "Thank you so very much." And with that he was gone. Wendy and I looked at each other and we both let out exhausted and depressed sighs.

"So... my first big job is kicking out our friends..." Wendy said dejectedly feeling a bit disappointed.

"There's no shame in it child," reassured Carla. "Besides, their intentions were good. They came here wanting to help you and in a roundabout way you're simply returning the favor."

"Carla's right," I agreed. "It is a respectable job, so you should at least carry it out with pride."

"You really think so?" puzzled Wendy as she along with me and Carla looked at our friends.

"We know so," I said putting a hand on her shoulder. "If you think about it, think of it as an experience. An unexpected one, but something you can learn from."

Carla nodded in agreement. A smile then slowly worked its way to Wendy's lips.

"You're right," she said. "I should do the job I was given. Even though I may not like it. Besides, they'll be others."

I smiled back at the bluenette. "Atta girl. Now let's get to it. We got a lot of bodies to move."

"Right," nodded Wendy.

And so, we set to work picking up all of our friends moving them away from the theater.

* * *

Meanwhile back in the forest, the squad led by Bushy Brows made its way back to the camp. Every single one of them was a wet and soggy mess. Bushy Brows was making his way to the tent where Don Ghira was and he was more nervous than a rabbit making his way to a bear cave. He took a few deep breaths and then he went inside where Don Ghira was sitting waiting for him.

"Um... Don Ghira, I'm afraid... that I have a bit of bad news," said Bushy Brows. "We... we weren't able to complete the mission. He... was too strong for us. He blew us away in an instant... I'm so sorry."

Bushy Brows then shut his eyes expecting for Don Ghira to be angry and punish him, but the blow never came. He then opened his eyes and looked at his guild master and was surprised to see that Don Ghira remained neutral.

"Um... Don Ghira? Did... you not hear me?" he asked.

"Yes. I heard you," replied Don Ghira.

"Then... what's up?" asked Bushy Brows.

"It's simple. I already knew that the boy would defeat you and your squad," said Don Ghira. "That was nothing more but a test."

"A test?" puzzled Bushy Brows. "For what?"

"A test to see how strong the boy was," said Don Ghira. "If he was defeated, then there would be no need to collect the bounty on someone so weak. But since the opposite happened, I now see that this boy possesses strength. Strength that now has me intrigued." Don Ghira then turned around towards Bushy Brows. "Tell all of our members to pack up camp. We're heading back to the guild hall. Once we make it back, we'll resume our mission in taking the boy."

"Understood sir," said Bushy Brows. "I'll let them know right away."

Bushy Brows was just about to leave when Don Ghira placed a hand on Bushy Brow's shoulder stopping him. Bushy Brows looked up at the man and saw that he was leering dangerously at him with his eyes glowing.

"Not just yet," said Don Ghira. "First, you have to be punished for failing me."

"B-b-but I thought you weren't mad!" squeaked Bushy Brows.

Don Ghira then flashed an evil smile with teeth glinting. "Who said I wasn't mad?"

A few moments later, Don Ghira's tent was filled with the sounds of agonized screams that echoed through the night making all of the other members of the Black Tiger guild tremble in fear.

* * *

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 _Dragoman out!_


	68. Chapter 68 Meeting Gildarts

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* * *

Chapter 68

Meeting Gildarts

After that crazy fiasco, me and Wendy completed the job per Rabian's request and got paid in full. However, everyone else was feeling exhausted and less than pleased with Rabian, so me and Wendy used our healing magic to help those who were sick. Then we all decided to head home back to Magnolia. Thankfully, the train was fixed so we didn't have to worry about walking anymore. Natsu however threw a fit not wanting to ride the train due to him riding it who knows how many times, but after a few convincing words from Erza and a big punch in the stomach knocking him out, Natsu was quiet as a mouse and didn't get that sick. Although he has seen better days.

Eventually, we made it back to the guild and the guild members soon heard about what had happened. They thought what had happened was funny, but those who were came back were looking forward to a good rest. I however was looking forward to a large tall glass of water after the job I went through. I ordered a large cup of water and drank it heartily. I drank one cup after another until I was on my seventh cup.

"My goodness Willy, you must have been thirsty," said Mira as she set my eighth cup down. "I've never seen anyone drink that much. Well, other than Cana when it comes to drinking alcohol."

"If you were a drinker like Cana was, you'd give her a run for her money in a drinking contest," chuckled Elfman.

"Well, I am thirsty," I replied as I grabbed my eighth cup. "We were walking throughout the job even went through a desert. I don't do very well in hot places." I then downed my eighth cup in a couple of gulps letting out a satisfying sigh my thirst finally quenched. "Now that hits the spot. I'm feeling much better now."

"Are you gonna go on another job?" asked Elfman.

"Nah. I'm thinking of going go home and rest," I replied. "After the job I went through, I was gonna rest up and read a couple books. Plus I gotta pay the landlady rent. "

Mira giggled a little. "That's you alright, Willy," she said. "Diligent as always."

"Well can you blame me? I gotta stay on top it no matter what," I said. "Besides, I'm looking forward to catch up on a book I was reading. Anyway, I'm gonna get going. I'll see you guys later. OK?"

I was just about to leave when I heard someone call out to me. "Hey Willy, hold on a second!"

I looked behind me to saw Elfman coming up to me. When he did, I noticed that he seemed to be a bit nervous about something.

"Hey there Elfman," I greeted. "What's up?"

"Well... I've been wanting to talk to you," said Elfman. "It's... something important."

"Important?" I puzzled. "What is it?"

Elfman scratched his head and seemed unsure about what to say. I tilted my head wondering what he wanted, but then I had an idea of why he was so hesitant.

"Hey. Is... this about visiting Lisanna's grave?" I asked. "If you're worried about that then don't worry. I said I'll be there."

Elfman was a bit surprised at first, but then he shook his head. "Well... you're kind of right but...it's about something else...you see..."

But then before Elfman could finish what he had to say, there was the sound of bells chiming causing us turn our attention upwards along with everyone else in the guild.

"What... is that noise?" I wondered. "Are those the bells from Kardia Cathedral?"

I looked over at Elfman hoping he would answer, but Elfman didn't respond. His eyes were wide as a big grin worked its way to his lips.

He then let out a yell filled with joy. "Alright! He's finally coming back!"

"This is awesome!" I heard Gray say. "Could it really be him?!"

"It's gotta be!" said another member. "Why else would those bells be ringing?"

Just then, two other members, Max and Warren came bursting through the front door looking excited and frantic.

"Big news!" they yelled. "He's coming!"

"Um... excuse me!" I called out feeling confused. "Will somebody please tell me what everyone is talking about? Who's coming?"

Everyone in the guild then let out a loud cheer that probably shook the guildhall itself. "Gildarts is back!" Then everyone went crazy drinking from their mugs and partying it up. I now felt more confused than ever before as I made my way to Lucy, Mira, Wendy, and Carla who seemed as confused as I was.

"I don't suppose you guys know what anyone is talking about," I spoke. "Who's Gildarts?"

"Beats me," responded Lucy. "I've never even heard of that name before."

"He's the strongest wizard in all of Fairy Tail," Mira told me.

Lucy and I stared at Mira in surprise.

"What?! Are you serious?!" Lucy asked. "I always thought that Erza was the top dog around here!"

Erza shook her head. "All modesty aside, I can't hold a candle to him," she said.

"If even Erza's saying that, then this person must be powerful," I spoke.

"If that's true, then this guy must be the king of breaking things then," Lucy spoke flatly. "But... what I don't understand is that why is everyone going totally nuts."

"I know. Just look at how happy they all are," said Wendy in amazement. "It's like a festival."

"That may be so, but it's still quite an unruly sight," commented Carla.

"Well, you can't really blame them," smiled Mira. "After all, Gildarts has been gone for quite a while. Three years to be exact."

"Wait... three years?!" I repeated incredulously. "What has he been doing all that time?"

Mira then explained. "Well... you know how we have normal jobs and S class requests? There are jobs that are above those that are called SS class requests. And the jobs above those are called decade quests."

I stared at Mira completely shocked as was Lucy.

"Decade quests?!" we repeated.

"Yes. They're job requests that one's been able to complete in less than past ten years, thus give them their name," Erza told us. "Actually now that I remember correctly, Gildarts took on a request that was even higher t level than that. A century quest."

"You're kidding me!" gasped Lucy. "If what you're saying is true, then he took a request that no one's been able to complete in over a century?! Who in their right mind would want to take a job like that?!"

"Apparently him," I replied feeling just as stupefied as she was.

Just then, a female voice was heard that echoed all throughout Magnolia via a loudspeaker.

 _"Attention citizens! Please take your designated positions immediately and prepare to commence Magnolia's Gildart's shift!"_

"Goodness gracious," sighed Carla. "Aren't they they making too much of a fuss about this?"

"I wonder why...?" puzzled Wendy.

"And what the heck is a "Magnolia Gildarts Shift" anyway?" asked Lucy.

"Step outside and see for yourself," Erza said.

"But why? What's gonna happen?" I asked curiously.

"You'll see," smiled Mira as she took my hand leading me outside.

We then went outside of the guild standing by the entrance. When we did, the ground began to tremble and shake. The buildings then began to slowly move and shift, some of them going up and some of them going down. A pathway soon was revealed, the buildings of Magnolia standing on top of two large walls on it with a line of arrows leading up to the guild hall.

"Magnolia just split in two!" screeched Lucy in shock.

"I'm seeing it, but I'm not believing it!" I cried. "Why in the world is this happening and how is this happening?!"

"I really can't explain it to you when it comes to how the town is doing this," spoke Erza. "But I can tell you that it's a precautionary measure for Gildart's Crush Magic."

"It's a magic that allows Gildarts to destroy everything that he touches," added Mira. "So if he's not careful, he could accidentally destroy a person's house or something."

"So wait... You modified the town just because he's _clumsy_?!" Lucy asked dumbfounded. "Just how dumb is he?!"

"He sounds like an amazing person," Wendy said.

"Yes. Amazingly stupid," spoke Carla sarcastically.

I looked in the distance down the path and I could see someone on it walking towards us. It was a man who appeared to be in his thirties or forties, was tall, had slicked back shoulder's length orange hair, had a stubby beard, and wore a tattered, high-collared, black cloak with shoulder plates that obscured most of his body except for a pair of boots. He also had something wrapped in a brown cloth tied on his back.

Feeling rather curious about this man, I decided to sense his magic using my Aqua Sense to see how strong he is and if what Erza and Mira was saying about him was true. I placed my hand on the ground and the concentrated. In my mind, I saw nothing, but black as I zoomed in on the man ahead down the path ahead. Then I felt my heart leap as my eyes snapped open. It was only a quick glimpse, but I saw that man's magic power. It was an incredibly large blue shape erupting from the his body like geyser. It was enough to make me break into a slight sweat.

"This... this is insane..." I thought. "His... his magic power is off the scale! He's even higher than any other magic energy I've sensed before! And I don't even think he's even exerting his full power yet."

I was now feeling a tad frightened. I knew that he was a member of Fairy Tail, but that power alone still made me feel all the more uneasy. Then I had a thought. What if he knew my face and I was a dark wizard? What if when upon saw me, he would think that I was the enemy and would use his overwhelming magic to crush me?. My hands trembled and my stomach was starting to turn into knots from such a thought. I slowly stood up and started to walk back into the guild, but then I heard Mira.

"Willy? Where are you going?" she asked.

"Um... well..." I said. "Well... I know that Gildarts must be a busy man... and... I didn't want to intrude. I'll just go home and then..."

"Are you alright Willy?" asked Lucy. "You're looking a bit pale and sweaty."

"I-I'm fine, Lucy. Just fine!" I blurted out. "I'm just uh... not feeling too good, that's all. I mean it's not like I'm scared of Gildarts or anything!"

Everyone stared at me and I felt like the biggest idiot in the world for blurting out such a thing.

Mira then smiled at me then she along with Erza laughed making me blush bright red in embarrassment.

"Willy, there's nothing for you to be scared of," said Mira. "Gildarts may be the strongest wizard in Fairy Tail, but you have no reason to be so scared him."

"Mirajane's right. I may have only met the man for a few times, but I've found that he's a very gentle and kind man," spoke Erza. "Although it'd be wise not to get on his bad side."

"You... you really think so?" I asked tentatively. "I mean... I am a former dark mage. What if he..."

Mira then placed a hand on mine giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry. It'll be fine," she said. "Gildarts is very nice. I promise."

I still didn't feel very sure, but I decided to put my trust in Mira hoping that she'd be right. Soon enough, after a few minutes of waiting with baited breath, Gildarts finally walked into the guild hall. He looked around surveying the area and then let out a sigh as if he was annoyed that he got the wrong location by mistake.

Then Natsu suddenly appeared with a big grin on his face. "Hey you old geezer!" he said. "Come on and fight me!"

"You're already picking a fight with him right off the bat?!" I heard Elfman say. "That's no way to treat a man!"

Gildarts then saw me and Mira. Feeling a bit nervous, I stood behind Mira a bit as he came up to us.

"Excuse me Miss," he said. "Sorry to bother you, but I'm looking for a guild that used to be around these parts called Fairy Tail."

"This is the place," replied Mira. "And don't you recognize me? It's me, Mirajame."

Gildarts took a good look at her. Then his face lit up with surprise doing a double take. "Mira? Wow! You sure have grown up little girl! And did you change some around the hall too?"

He then looked around the guild hall as if he was a child now just realizing that he was in a fun house which surprised me a little.

"He couldn't tell from the outside?" Lucy wondered flatly.

Then Natsu appeared from above on the stairs by the entrance. "Hey Gildarts!" he called.

Gildarts saw the pink head and smiled. "Hey. Long time no see, Natsu," he greeted. "There's someone I recognize."

Natsu flashed a toothy grin as he leaped into the air gunning straight towards Gildarts with a fist raised.

"Good to see you too!" he yelled. "Now let's fight!"

Gildarts stepped to the side dodging Natsu's blow and catching him on his stomach with a free hand. Using that hand, he spun Natsu around and around and then flung him to the air making him slam into the ceiling creating a large indent in it.

"Not now, kid," he spoke.

Natsu was stunned and seemed to be in, but that didn't bother him in the slightest. "Oh man! He's still so awesome!" he grinned.

My jaw dropped in shock. "No way... he sent Natsu flying without even trying?!" I murmured. "That's crazy!"

"Man, you haven't changed a bit pops," Gray chuckled. "Still the same old tough guy we've always known."

"A true, genuine, old fashioned, man's man," agreed Elfman.

Gildarts then took a gander at all the other guild members. "Looks like there are some new faces around here too," he smiled. "I guess a lot of things happened while I was gone."

Then he stopped eyes happening to meet mine. I immediately gulped and feeling my heart skip a beat again as he looked at me. He then walked over toward me squinting his eyes.

"Say... have I seen you somewhere before?" he asked.

"Um... no sir," I replied nervously. "I've never met you before..."

Gildarts continued to squint at me still trying to figure out who I was, but then Mira came up.

"This is the boy I told you about when I was little," she said. "Allow me to introduce, Willy Falconer."

Gildarts eyes widened with wonder and surprise again as he looked back at Mira and then at me back and forth. "No way! You mean that boy who you grew up with and mysteriously disappeared? And then he ended up with the Oración Seis and then was locked up by the Magic Council until they eventually let him go?!" he asked with shock on his face.

I immediately gulped again feeling more nervous than before not expecting him to know about how I got into Fairy Tail and what had happened to me back then.

"Wait! How did you-" I began to say, but then Mira interupted smiling sweetly.

"Yup. That's him," she said.

Gildarts stared at me. Then he gave me a wide smile. "Well what do you know? Guess miracles do happen," he chuckled. "Say Willy right? I've heard a lot things about you," he said. "Word is you're quite the celebrity. I don't know how you managed to make your way back or what you went through to get here, but I'm really glad that you did." He then placed a hand on top of my head giving it a small tousle making me flinch a bit. "It's good to have you with us and I may be a little late in saying this, but welcome back kid."

I stared at the man in front of me taken aback for what he said. A smile then slowly worked its way to my lips.

"Th-thank you. Thank you very much Gildarts," I said. "That means a lot."

Then Master Makarov called him catching his attention. "Hey Gildarts."

"Hello there Master," he greeted as he went to bar where he was sitting. "You're looking well."

"So, how did the job go?" asked Makarov. "Has it been going well?"

Gildarts was silent. He let out a hearty laugh while scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. Then he gave his response.

"Nope. Sorry. It was way too much for me," he said.

Everyone in the guild including me gasped in shock while staring wide-eyed at him. Even Mira and Erza looked a bit unsettled.

"I don't believe it!" I heard Gray. "Not even Gildarts could do it?!"

"Well... I guess it takes a big man to admit defeat," said Elfman.

"I see. So it was too much for even you," spoke Makarov quietly.

"Please forgive me Master," apologized Gildarts. "I've brought shame to the guild."

Makarov smiled. "Not at all. Your safe return is all that matters which is a feat in of itself. You're the only who's made the journey home alive."

"Thanks, Master," smiled Gildarts. "Now if you don't mind, I'm gonna go home and get some rest, so I can feel alive again. I'm really feeling beat." He then spoke to Natsu as he walked. "Hey Natsu, stop by a little later. I brought something back for ya. Well then, I'll see you guys later."

He then walked away heading towards the wall. The wall then suddenly exploded. Bricks went flying everywhere as there was now a large hole big enough for Gildarts to walk through. If my eyes weren't wide enough, they sure were now.

"Hey! You can use the front door you know!" chided Warren.

"Oh my goodness," sighed Mira. "I had a feeling this would happen."

I then heard Natsu who now had his fist ablaze with fire. "Alright! Wonder what the old man's got for me?" he wondered. "I'm getting fired up just thinking about it!"

He then slammed his fist into the wall making another hole in the wall imitating Gildarts.

"Hey! One wall breaker is enough around here!" yelled Max. "Don't go copying him!"

"Oh my goodness," smiled Mira. "Those two are so much alike."

"Yeah... no kidding," I said.

I then looked back to the hole where Gildarts had made my fear of the man now completely gone. I now felt a great admiration for the man. Here I was thinking that he would use his magic to crush me, but he did the exact opposite. He seemed very humble even willing to accept defeat, but at the same time a little bit strange in some areas. But overall, he certainly was as Elfman would say, a man's man.

Mira smiled noticing my bewildered expression. "You see? I told you that he was nice," she said. "Not what you were expecting huh?"

"Yeah... no kidding," I said. "He certainly is quite a character, but in a good way." I stared at the opening that Gildarts made and a big grin worked to my lips. "He may be unusual, but he's definitely one of the coolest wizards I've ever seen in my life. It makes me wanna be an S class wizard just like him." Then I suddenly remembered. "Oh yeah! I almost forgot. I gotta get to the apartments! Otherwise, the landlady'll kill me! I'll see you guys later!"

"Alright then. Take care Willy," said Erza.

"See you later," spoke Wendy and Lucy.

I then ran out of the guild hall heading to the apartments.

* * *

 **NO POV**

No sooner than when Willy left, everyone in the guild continued to go about their daily routines in the guild. Mira was just about to get to work on her duties as a waitress when Elfman came up to her looking a bit distraught.

"Hey Sis. Have you seen Willy?" he asked. "There was something that I wanted to talk to him about. It's important."

"I'm afraid you just missed him," Mira said to her brother. "He just went left heading home."

"Damn it. He already left huh?" grumbled Elfman. "I was really hoping to talk to him..."

Mira now felt puzzled. "Talk to him about what, Elfman?"

Elfman was hesitant and seemed to be more distraught, but he soon responded after a couple of seconds. "You know how Lisanna's anniversary is coming up? Well... I was planning to tell Willy everything about what had happened. I mean... how Lisanna died I mean."

Mira stared at her brother a bit surprised and concerned. "Elfman... you don't have to force yourself to tell him you know," she spoke quietly.

"I know... but all he knows is that Lisanna died on the job, but... he has no idea how," spoke Elfman. "He's going to eventually ask about it, so he has a right to know what happened. Even if Willy ends up hating me for it. After all, I may have moved on from it, but it's still technically my fault that she's gone."

There was a long silence. Then Mira gently placed her hand on top of Elfman's causing the man to look at her.

"You're wrong about that Elfman. Willy thinks of you like a brother and he's your very best friend," she spoke quietly. "However, I'm not gonna lie. He might be a little upset, but I don't think that he could ever hate you. Besides, it wasn't your fault."

Elfman stared at his big sister. "You really think so?" he asked clenching his hand. "Because... that's what I'm scared of the most."

"I know so," said Mira giving him a smile. "Trust me. We've known each other since we were kids and I know for a fact that Willy is not the type to hold a grudge. I mean we did grow up with him after all. That and he was a bit shy of brains back then. I mean he almost stripped nude in front of us back then. Remember?"

"Well... that's true," chuckled Elfman. "That was pretty funny. Thanks Sis. I feel a lot less worried and like a man again."

"No problem Brother," smiled Mira.

"You know what? I'm gonna go on a job," said Elfman. "That'll help me blow a little more steam. I'll see you later Sis."

"Have fun Elfman," spoke Mira

Elfman then walked away from the bar heading for the request board while Mira went back to work at the bar.

* * *

 _The Edolas Arc is coming upon us!_

 _For those of you that are asking, I might not go for giving Willy an Exceed partner._

 _I am considering it though._

 _If you like what you read or have ideas, PM me or review me!_

 _Dragoman out!_


	69. Chapter 69 A Storm Approaches

_Alright then! It's time for another arc to get started!_

 _In addition, my story had reached 200 favs!_

 _As Rabien would say, Thank you so very much!_

 _Till then, happy reading!_

* * *

 _The opening begins with Natsu and Wendy with Carla and Happy carrying them both respectively flying upwards towards the sky where a large tunnel of clouds could be seen which is an anima. They sky begins to ripple with magic power due to the anima and as they all continue ascending upwards, they enter into the anima their eyes are wide with wonder as the scene goes white and we now see a completely different world that is Edolas with a large floating island as the Fairy Tail logo appears fading in._

 _ **koko ni iru shoumei wo itsumo sagashiteru**_

 _We see a young Natsu open his eyes standing in an open plain as he gazes into the blue sky filled with clouds. He is soon joined with a young Lisanna, a baby Happy, and Gildarts as a gentle wind blows through their hair._

 _ **sore wa ki ga tsukeba migi poketto ni atta**_  
 _ **kyou no sora wa aoku sumi wattate ite**_

 _The scene then changes as Natsu is now older as he looks back at Gray, Erza, Wendy, and Lucy. The sky has now taken a peach color as it is now evening. Then the image of Gray, Erza, Wendy and Lucy slowly zooms out as it fades away into the darkness._

 _ **maru de sekai wo toumei ni shita mitai**_ _ **da**_

 _Natsu is now standing in front of Lisanna's grave that is in front of a house made of straw where they used play when they were kids. The scene also changes to Gildarts sitting in his room seeming to give Natsu a nod as if he's telling him that he has complete confidence in him._

 _ **mitsukaranai mono datte akirameru boku mo**_

 _We now see Wendy who seems to be looking back at the audience her eyes filled with tears as we get an up close look at her eye. We then see Mystogan who is not wearing his mask and whose face looks very grave as he looks down at Wendy as it is now raining as they stand in the middle of Magnolia._

 _ **mitsukaru hazu da yo tte nagusameru kimi mo**_

 _We see Carla who is standing away from a very distraught Happy as she looks away looking sad. We then see Lucy, Edolas Lucy, Edolas Natsu, and two cats that are just like Happy and Carla, one being black with a large rectangular head and the other being yellow with orange hair and looking just like Ichiya. After that, we see Happy holding a crying Carla's hand as they run away._

 _Then it switches to a city burning in flames as we see the Edolas flag with solders. An tall old man with a white beard as well as white hair wearing a brown coat and wearing a big brown hat seeming to be reveling in the destruction. As five people appear in front of him. In the upper right, a male who had a face like a panther's with a muscular build, a scar on his left eye, and wore a personalized helmet with a cape draped around his body, the lower right, an short old man with pointed eyebrows which made them like horns, upper left, a man with blond hair pompadour style with pink armor, a young girl with brown hair in a ponytail on her should who had a face like a puppy, and in the middle, a boy with dark purple hair with a thick white lock of hair on his right wearing a white coat with a black shirt with criss-crossing green lines._

 _Then a young woman stands in front revealing to look just like Erza only she had longer hair in an elegant ponytail also wearing revealing armor that was a black halter-type armor breastplate top exposing her cleavage and stomach with gauntlets and greaves matching color, a black bikini bottom with a white cloth obscuring her hips. She lastly has a dark blue scarf wrapped around her neck._

 _We then see an up close shot of Jellal's right tattooed eye as it widens in shock._

 _ **ikite yuku imi wa nani hitotsu kawaranai kara**_

 _The town of Magnolia is slowly disintegrating as it fades away being sucked up by the Anima in a tornado up to the sky with Wendy in the middle of it watching it all happen in front of her eyes._

 _ **kowaresou na merodii  
hitotsu dake tashika na omoi tsumugi dasetara**_

 _The town of Magnolia is now nothing but a wasteland as Wendy sits there not being able to comprehend what had just happened to her town. We then see Natsu running towards Lisanna trying to reach out to her. Lisanna turns around and tries to reach out too, but she fails to reach out to him as everything goes white._

 _ **boku ga shinjitekita subete ga uso datta to shite mo**_

 _We then see a plant-like building with an orange and white Fairy Tail banner. We then zoom out and see Edolas Lucy giving the original Natsu a noogie, Lucy and Edolas Natsu on the left, and Wendy, Happy and Carla in the middle as the music ends._

 _ **kamawanai kara**_

* * *

Chapter 69

A Storm Approaches

A few days had passed since Gildarts came into the guild. Lately, I've been keeping myself busy going on some jobs to keep up with rent and other times I'd do some reading. Sometimes, I went on a couple jobs by myself. Other times, I went out on a couple jobs with Team Natsu. But lately, I've mostly taken the jobs that were pretty close to Magnolia by myself. The reason being was due to what had happened back with the job with Wendy when those members of the dark guild Black Tiger attacked me. Not to mention there was that mysterious letter I received bearing the symbol of the Bureau of Magical Development.

Ever since then, I've grown a little paranoid of my surroundings, but not like crazy paranoid. I was just more careful and aware of my surroundings. The last thing I wanted was to be caught in a surprise attack in the middle of Magnolia with a lot of innocent people getting caught in the crossfire. Especially my friends in Fairy Tail. I may have been forgiven for all of the trouble I've caused in the past and I know they said that it wasn't my fault, but I still felt somewhat responsible. So I wanted to try and settle the problems I had on my own. Luckily for me, I didn't receive any more letters nor did anyone try to attack me or anything. Hopefully it would stay that way, but I couldn't let my guard down even for a moment.

It was early one morning. I had just woke up to the start of another day. Today was the day that I was gonna head to Kardia Cathedral with Elfman and Lisanna. I was gonna meet them at the guild hall, so we could walk over there and spend some time together. I took a shower and got dressed and left the apartments heading for the guild hall. As I walked, I noticed that a couple people still looked at me either looking away or murmuring to one another about me. I pretty much have gotten used to it at this point, so I'd just pretend not to notice.

On my way to the guild, I happened to walk past a bar where a couple of guys were hanging around outside. They were all rugged, mean looking, drunk and were having a jolly time. As I walked past them, they happened to take notice of me. They stared at me as if they were daring for me to look at them funny. But I kept my eyes ahead of me not wanting to cause any trouble. Then another man happened to walk past me. He was taller than me and looked fat, wore a white vest that exposed his upper body and a pair of jeans and boots. Our shoulders happened to bump into each other. When they did, the man immediately glared at me.

"Hey! Watch where ya going punk!" he barked.

"I apologize sir," I said politely.

I then continued on my way, but then I heard the man behind me.

"Wait a minute. I know you. You're that guy who used to be with the Oración Seis that's now in Fairy Tail," he said. "What's a criminal like you doing in a town like Magnolia?"

This made me stop walking as the other men followed suit.

"Yeah. Criminals like you shouldn't be around in a place like this. You should be with your friends," he continued. "Oh wait. You can't because they're all in jail!"

They all laughed thinking that it was funny. I kept a neutral expression and didn't react.

"Is that all you have to say to me?" I asked. "If so then I'll be on my way. I got somewhere to be."

I then resumed walking not wanting to deal with them anymore. However once again, I heard the man behind me.

"You know I'm surprised Fairy Tail's kept you with them for so long, especially with your track record," he said. "If I was Fairy Tail, I would have kicked you back out on the street even if you begged. People like you should be with a dark guild where you belong."

This made me stop walking again feeling a flare of anger go through my body. I snapped my head around glaring at the man clenching my fists.

The man wasn't intimidated. "What's the matter? You got something to say to me?" he asked giving me a sneering look on his face.

The other people at the bar began to cheer anticipating a fight about to happen. And to make things worse, a couple of civilians around happened to be walking by and saw what was going on wondering what would happen. I stared at the man not taking my eyes off of him. A part of me really wanted to bash his face in with my magic, but at the same time it would be a pointless fight. To me, if I attacked this guy right now, then people would really think that I was a criminal and would not trust me even more. So I took a deep breath, turned around, and walked away.

"What's the matter? You running away coward?" the man called.

"He's probably so scared that he's not even gonna bother to fight," said another. "All he would do is end up getting his ass whipped and make his guild look bad!"

"You know I'm starting to wonder why he even signed up with Fairy Tail in the first place," said a third. "All he's gonna do is cause himself and his guild more trouble than they're worth. If I was him, I'd probably let myself rot in jail."

"Man... what a buzzkill!" said a fourth. "Get out of here ya coward!"

I then felt something whizz by my head narrowly missing me and crashing into the ground. It was a bottle of beer that someone had obviously thrown, but I kept on walking. I would have kicked their butts if they wanted, but it wasn't worth it. The men continued to jeer and throw things at me as I kept on walking. Some of the things they threw hit me, but I kept on walking until I was far enough away from the bar.

As I walked on, I passed by an alleyway and noticed something that made me stop. There was a young man who seemed to be completely exhausted like he just ran a mile. He looked around the alley until he saw a cat. As soon as he saw it, he picked up a cat and scowling at it like he was inspecting it. He had long spiky black hair slicked back, wore a black sleeveless tunic, a studded belt with biege pants tucked inside black boots, and had a strange wing ornament on his right shoulder attached to his tunic. It didn't take me long to realize who it was.

"That's Gajeel Redfox," I thought. "But what is he doing with that cat?"

Gajeel continued to stare at the cat. Then he put it back down and stomped away.

"No!" he said.

He then saw another cat that was gray with white stripes.

"Not this one either!" he said stomped past.

Next, he saw another cat that was completely an amber gold color and for some reason reminded me of a certain blue cat back at the guild based on the expression on its face. Gajeel immediately rejected that cat too.

"Definitely not that one!" he growled as he continued on.

"What the heck is he up to?" I wondered. "Is he looking for a pet cat or something?"

Gajeel continued on searching for cats even though he looked visibly exhausted. Then he happened to step on a beer bottle causing him to trip and fall flat on his face on the ground making me wince seeing the impact. I then heard Gajeel.

"Salamander and that rookie little girl both got magical flying cats," he said miserably. "So why don't I? I'm a dragon slayer too, so I deserve a flying furry friend like they do!"

I then understood what Gajeel was up to, although I was a bit perplexed by this.

"He's looking for a cat because Natsu and Wendy have Happy and Carla?" I thought. "But why would he get jealous over that? I mean I'm a dragon slayer and I don't have a cat. Then again I haven't exactly found any flying cats around here."

Just then, Gajeel snapped his head around seeing me standing there watching him. He immediately sprang to his feet looking a bit startled. He then glared right at me looking pretty angry.

"What are you looking at?!" he growled. "And what's the big idea sneaking up on me?!"

"Sorry about that," I said immediately apologizing. "I was just passing through when I saw you lying there. I thought that you were injured or something."

"I'm fine," Gajeel spoke gruffly dusting himself off. "Don't worry about me."

"By the way, Gajeel right? I was wondering... why are you looking for a cat in this alley?" I asked. "Are you looking for some kind of pet or something?

"None of your business!" barked Gajeel.

He then stomped away leaving me staring at his back feeling a bit confused.

"What's his problem?" I wondered. "I was just asking him a question."

Then I suddenly remembered. "Wait a minute. I've got no time to this. I gotta get to the guild hall and meet Mira and Elfman."

I then went on my way leaving the alley behind me as I power walked to the guild.

* * *

Eventually, I made it to the guild hall without any more trouble. I happened to pass by the goods shop where Max was manning the stand.

"Hey Willy!" he called. "How's it going?"

"Hey there Max," I greeted back as I came up. "You selling well in the gift shop?"

"Very much so," said Max. "You wanna see what I got? If you like something, I can give you a good price."

"Maybe another time Max," I declined politely. "I've gotta get inside to meet Mira and Elfman. But I'll check it out later OK?"

"Suit yourself then," smiled Max.

I then walked inside of the guild hall. Just as I did, the sky darkened causing me to look up towards the sky. I could see dark clouds blocking sun and they looked to be heavy with rain.

"Man. Today of all days," I sighed. "It looks like it's going to be a gloomy day."

I glanced around hoping to find Mira and Elfman, but I didn't see them. Since they weren't here yet, I thought I might as well kill some time before they got here. I walked over to a table where I saw Lucy, Carla, and Wendy and the rest of the gang sitting by the window.

"Hi there Willy," greeted Wendy. "What are you up to?"

"Nothing much," I replied. "I just thought I'd kill some time, What about you guys?"

"Wendy was just telling me about a particular date," said Lucy. "July seventh in the year of 777. I was just wondering why she was so fascinated with that date."

I looked at the two girls taking an interest. "That's the day our dragons disappeared if I'm not mistaken," I spoke.

"That's right. I've always been a little curious about it," said Wendy. "So I was trying to think of how and why they disappeared."

"Now that you mention it, Natsu told me that Gajeel's dragon disappeared on the exact same day too," said Lucy. "I think his dragon's name was Metalicana."

"Do you have any thoughts on the matter?" asked Carla. "If you have any, please share them with us."

I hummed thoughtfully trying to come up with an idea. Lucy however came up with one right away.

"Maybe... they all went on dragon picnic?" she wondered doubtfully.

"Somehow... I doubt that's the case, Lucy," I said deadpanning.

"It is an interesting idea. I must admit I never really thought of that one before," said Wendy. "Then again, now that you mention it, I've always been afraid that they all just decided to abandon us. But if that's the case, then where have they been all this time?"

I leaned back on the chair staring up at the ceiling deep in thought.

"The fire dragon Igneel, the metal dragon Metalicana, the water dragon Aquadia, and the sky dragon Grandeeney." I muttered to myself.

I closed my eyes and thought deeply trying to remember anything about our dragons. For some reason, the name of Wendy's dragon was starting to ringing a bell in my head like I've heard it somewhere before. At first, I couldn't really think of anything. Then suddenly, my eyes opened as a memory popped into my head.

"Wait a sec... I remember now!" I spoke. "Wendy, I saw your dragon back when I was a kid."

Wendy, Carla, and Lucy looked at me in surprise. "You did?" they asked incredulously.

"Yes, although it was only one time and back when I was still living with her," I said. "You see, I had just come back from fishing when I saw Aquadia talking to a green ball of light. That was Grandeeney."

"Well, what did she say?" asked Carla. "Did she say anything important?"

"Not really," I replied shaking my head. "All I know was that Grandeeney and Aquadia are apparently really close friends and would talk to each other. However, I have no idea what they talked about. Is... that any help at all?"

"Well... it does a little," said Wendy. "I never realized that Grandeeney and Aquadia knew each other."

"I didn't even know that dragons had friends and such," commented Lucy. "But I guess it makes sense considering what Willy said."

Just then, Happy came walking up to Carla. He appeared to be holding a giant fish with a big red bow on it. The moment I saw that fish, I immediately began to drool.

"Wow... that's a really delicious fish you got there, Happy," I spoke hungrily. "Can I have a bite of it?"

"No way!" said Happy automatically. "This fish isn't for you."

"Aww come on. Just one bite," I begged. "I won't take that much."

"I said no!" Happy snapped. "Get your own fish."

I let out a disappointed whine as Happy then walked over to Carla while Wendy and Lucy laughed a little. Happy that held the fish over his head showing it to the white cat.

"Check this out Carla. I caught this fish earlier today. Isn't it the biggest you've ever seen?" he spoke proudly. "I figured that you might be hungry, so I caught it just for you."

"Thanks, but no thanks," said Carla turning her head away. "I don't really are for fish. Besides, it smells."

"OK... then what do you like?" asked Happy. "Tell me and I'll be more than happy to get it for you."

Then Carla was very rude. "Get away from me!" she snapped fiercely. "You're annoying!"

Happy was surprised from Carla's sudden outburst as was me, Lucy, and Wendy. Carla then cleared her throat regaining her composure. She then hopped off the table and walked away.

"I don't have time to waste in someone like you," the white cat continued. "Please stop following me around."

"Hold on a minute, Carla!" spoke Wendy. "Why are you being so mean to Happy?"

But with a huff, Carla walked through the doors exiting the guild. I watched as she left feeling a bit surprised at her behavior.

"What was all that about?" I asked the two girls.

"No idea," spoke Lucy. "I know that she hasn't been friendly, but that was just plain harsh." She then looked at Happy who now looked very miserable. "You OK little guy?"

Happy didn't respond. Then he hopped off the table and ran after Carla. "Carla! Wait! Please talk to me!"

"Well... I'll give him credit for persistence," I spoke. "But... why does Carla treat Happy that way. I mean I know that she is who she is, but still..."

"Yeah I agree," said Lucy. "And... is it just me or is she specifically cold-hearted towards Happy?"

"Believe me I wish I knew," Wendy spoke. "I wonder what's gotten into her?"

I could only answer with a shrug. Then I took notice of someone calling out to me.

"Willy there you are!"

I turned my head to the right and I saw Mira. She was wearing her traditional red dress, but she was also wearing a black overcoat.

"Hey there Mira," I said. "How are you?"

"I'm doing fine," she said. "I was just getting my coat considering that it's now pouring. Are you ready to go?"

"Just about," I replied. "By the way, where's Elfman?"

We then heard a loud yell that answered that question.

"What's the matter with you two?! We're real men! Get your acts together, would ya?!"

There was only one person would shout that loud about men. Sure enough, we both saw Elfman seeming to be lecturing Jet and Droy about something while Levy was reading at another table.

"I guess that answers that question," I chuckled.

"That's Elfman for you," giggled Mira. "Come on. Let's get him, so we can leave."

"Roger that," I acknowledged.

We then went over to Elfman who was still yelling crossly at Jet and Droy who were now looking very meek and sheepish.

"You know what I see? A couple of lapdogs begging for a bone! And you call yourselves real men?!" barked Elfman.

"Hey there Elfman," I greeted as we came up. "Why are you yelling at Jet and Droy? Did something happen?"

"Oh hey Willy. I was teaching these sissies as lesson," spoke Elfman. "They screwed up in their most recent job. These morons got themselves knocked out cold in the middle of a fight, so Levy had to finish by herself!"

"Please... Stop... I can't take anymore," begged Droy miserably.

"Yeah... you don't need to rub it in you know," groaned Jet sadly.

"Well you both gotta be tougher if you want to protect Levy when the time comes!" Elfman barked again. "There's no way you can protect Levy as you're both are right now! You both need to man up in the worst possible way!"

"Yes sir..." Jet and Droy whimpered. "We get the message."

"Well I for one think that Jet and Droy have gotten stronger, recently," said Mira. "In their own way of course."

"Say what?!" shrieked Jet and Droy. "That's mean, Mira!"

I couldn't help, but laugh. "Well she's got you on that one you two. Hey Elfman, I think Jet and Droy have learned their lesson. It's time for us to get going."

"Oh yeah. That's right. I'm coming," spoke Elfman.

Then with Elfman and Mira grabbing their umbrellas, the three of us exited the guild hall into the pouring rain. Mira and Efman opened up their umbrellas while I simply walked in the rain as I was.

"Aren't you bothered by the rain Willy?" asked Mira. "I know that you're a dragon slayer, but won't you catch a cold?"

"Don't worry about me," I smiled. "I'll be fine. Besides, the rain water is good for my magic. It doesn't really bother me."

"I gotta say, that's pretty manly of you, Willy," said Elfman. "Wish I had the kind of magic that you have."

"Don't sell yourself short Elfman," I said. "Yours and Mira's magic is pretty awesome too."

Elfman nodded in agreement, but then he looked at me tentatively like he had something else to say trying to find the words. Then he spoke.

"Say... Willy? There's something... that I need to tell you," he said.

"What is it, Elfman?" I asked.

"Well... it's something that I can't tell you right now," he said. "But... I will tell you when we reach Lisanna's grave. Can you wait until then?"

"Um... OK. Whatever you say Elfman," I said doubtfully.

We then continued walking in the rain in silence. Elfman and Mira in front while I walked in the rear. I wanted to talk with them, but I really didn't know what to say to them. Especially since were going to visiting Lisanna's grave. So I decided to not to say anything at all until we got to Kardia Cathedral.

* * *

 **NO POV**

Mira looked up at her little brother as could see that he was looking dreadfully nervous and she knew the reason why. She then held his gently trying to ease his worries. Elfman a bit startled looked at his elder sister.

"It'll be OK, brother," Mira whispered. "There's no need to be nervous."

"Sis... I... I'm sorry. I can't help it," Elfman whispered back. "I'm feeling so terrified right now I feel like I'm gonna wet myself. Some man I am."

"Like I said, Willy will understand," Mira spoke quietly. "You said it yourself, he needs to know about it. If you continue to keep this a secret now, it'll become harder and harder to tell the truth and it will make it all the more hurtful."

"You really think so?" asked Elfman.

"Of course I do," Mira said squeezing his hand. "And remember, I'll be here with you. So don't worry. Everything is going to be fine."

Elfman took a deep breath and squeezed his elder sister's hand back feeling a little calmer.

"Thank you Sis," he said. "I feel a lot less nervous."

* * *

 **WILLY'S POV**

I looked up at the sky watching the rain fall as Mira and Elfman walked ahead of me. I didn't want to eavesdrop on their conversation, but at the same time I couldn't help, but feel a little bored. Not to mention that the rain was beginning to make me feel thirsty. I then opened my mouth drinking the rain water, but when the taste entered my mouth splashing on my tongue, I immediately noticed a strange taste. The rain water was filled with something that I didn't expect it to have. Magic power.

"That's odd..." I murmured. "Rain doesn't normally have magic power in it, does it?"

I curiously looked up at the sky and then I saw something that made my eyes widen. In the dark clouds of rain, there was a strange circle forming in the clouds like it was some kind of opening. Not only that, but I was beginning to sense a strange magic power.

"What the heck...? What is that?" I wondered. "Is that some kind of magic storm phenomenon or something?"

Then from inside the vortex in the clouds at the center, lightning flashed and the it began to spread all throughout Magnolia. The ground suddenly began to tremble causing me to be alarmed.

"What the heck?! What's going on?!" I exclaimed. "Mira! Elfman! What's-!"

I looked in front of me expecting Mira and Elfman be there, but to my shock, the two had mysteriously disappeared.

"What the...! They're gone!" I cried. "Where did they go?! Where are they?!"

The wind howled and thunder boomed as the ground continued to shake and tremble. Then suddenly, the buildings around me began to bend as they disintegrated into tiny pieces as were being sucked up into the sky in the form of a tornado one by one like a straw with a drink. I tried to fight the wind as I was buffeted with wind, but it was too strong and I was sent flying. Before I knew it, everything around me turned black as I fell unconscious in the middle of the chaos.

* * *

I didn't know how long I was unconscious. When I came to, I was lying face down, my face filled with sand. I spit the sand that was on my lips and on my mouth as I slowly sat up brushing the sand off of my body.

"What... what happened?" I murmured holding my head.

Then I looked up, my eyes being drawn to my surroundings. What I saw was a disturbing and strange sight that made my eyes widen in shock. The entire town that was was once Magnolia had now been reduced to nothing more, but a gloomy and desolate desert. Strange bubbles were floating upwards towards the sky and there was nothing, but dust as it blew about in the wind.

"What... what is this?" I spoke as I slowly stood up not believing what I was seeing. "What... happened to Magnolia? It... disappeared."

"I took a couple steps forward trying and looked around me trying to find any signs of life, but there wasn't a single person to be seen.

"Hello?! Is anyone there?!" I called out hoping that someone would answer me. "Mira?! Elfman! Wendy! Happy?! Natsu! Anyone! If you can hear me please respond!"

No one replied, the only sound being my voice echoing throughout the area. At this point, I was beginning to panic not sure what to do or understand what was going on, but I took a couple of deep breaths and calmed down.

"OK. Stay calm, Willy," I spoke to myself. "There has to be a explanation as to what happened. I just gotta stay calm and keep looking. There has to be someone left."

I then placed a palm on the ground and activated my Aqua Sense. If there was any sign of life, then I would be able to detect it. I closed my eyes and concentrated as my body began to glow in a bright blue color. In my mind, I saw nothing but black. Not a single blue shape could be found.

"Come on... come on..." I thought. "There has to be someone left. I can't be the only one!"

I concentrated harder expanding my radius around me by a couple of miles. I still saw nothing but black, but I refused to give up. I pushed myself a little more expanded my radius by about another mile making me reach my limit. This time, I saw a blue shape in my mind that was northeast of me. I immediately opened my eyes.

"Over there!" I shouted.

I then ran towards the direction I sensed the shape praying that it would be someone I knew. When I was close enough, I used my Aqua Sense one more time. I could see the shape right in front of me.

"Hold on! I'll get you out! Just give me a few second!" I spoke as I cloaked my hands with water and then used a spell. "WATER DRAGON WING ATTACK!"

I unleashed a powerful shockwave of water hitting the ground and kicking up a lot of sand and dust. From the dust, a person came flying out of the sand hitting the ground below with a thud getting its upper body stuck in the sand. The person's legs failed about as tried to get out of the sand. It then braced its legs and pulled trying to get itself out until finally pulled itself out of the sand. Upon seeing the person, I recognized it immediately and was surprised to see who it was.

"Gajeel!" I exclaimed. "So it was you!"

"Of course it's me!" the Iron Dragon Slayer snapped glaring angrily. "And what's the big idea attacking me like that?! You looking for a fight?!" Then he took notice of the area around us, his anger being quickly replaced with shock. "Wait... what the crap?! What's the hell's going on here?! What happened to the town?! Where's the guild hall?!"

"I have no idea," I spoke. "I was walking with Mira and Elfman to Kardia Cathedral one minute, the next I woke up to this. I'm as lost as you are."

Then the two of us heard footsteps causing us turn towards the sound. A young man was walking towards us. Gajeel immediately was on his guard.

"Hey. Who are you?" he growled taking a stance.

"Calm down, Gajeel," the man spoke. "I mean you no harm."

As the man approached us, we now could see who it was. He wore a dark blue cloak and his arms and legs are mostly covered in bandages. But the man's face was what surprised me. He had a distinctive and familiar tattoo on the right side of his face and had wavy blue hair.

"J-jellal? Is... is that you?" I spoke.

Gajeel then looked back at me. "I take it you know this guy?" he asked.

"Yes. I met him back in the Oración Seis incident," I explained. "But he was sentenced to to prison. Which is why I'm surprised he's here." I then looked back towards Jellal. "What are you doing here, Jellal? How did get out of prison? And... what's with the outfit you're wearing?"

"The man arrested in the Nirvana incident wasn't me," spoke Jellal. "We may look alike, but we're two different people. My real name is Mystogan of Fairy Tail."

"Mystogan? As in one of the S class wizards in the guild?" asked Gajeel with a raised. "Gotta say, never expected to see you in person. I have heard a lot about you though."

"I know you both have a lot of questions to ask, but I'm afraid there's not a lot of time to explain," spoke Mystogan. "For as you can see, Magnolia has been reduced to nothing but a wasteland."

"Do you know anything about this?" asked Gajeel. "If you do, then you better start talking."

"Yeah. Please tell us, Mystogan," I spoke. "Do you know anything about what happened to Magnolia?"

"Yes I do," Mystogan said. "To put it simply, Magnolia and its people were taken by a hole in the sky above known as the Anima into an alternative world that people hardly know about. A world that is known as Edolas."

"Edolas?" wondered me and Gajeel.

"Yes. It is a world that is very much like our own world, but is very much different from ours," Mystogan continued. "One of the biggest differences is that unlike the world we live in, Edolas has something lack in resource. And that is magic power. In fact, the magic power that Edolas was diminishing rapidly. The king of Edolas saw this problem and developed a powerful spell. A super-subspace spell which allowed him to absorb magic power from another world converting an entire area into magic energy. That is the spell known as Anima. I've been trying to keep the Anima closed over the past six years, but this one was far too large for me to contain. And thus... Magnolia and its people were absorbed."

"But why Magnolia in particular?" I asked. "Was it because that our guild had a lot of powerful top class wizards?"

"Correct," nodded Mystogan.

"And when you say absorbed, does that mean everyone has been absorbed?" I asked. "Including our friends in Fairy Tail?"

"I'm afraid so," said Mystogan. "However, there have been a couple of survivors. So far, Natsu, Wendy, and Lucy are the ones I've seen to have survive."

"What?! Salamander and that kid are alive?!" exclaimed Gajeel. "If that's true then where the heck are they?"

"Natsu and Wendy using Happy and Carla reentered the Anima leading them to Edolas," explained Mystogan. "As for Lucy, I sent her to Edolas not too long ago with the hopes of increasing our numbers in rescuing our friends. But now, I'm afraid I haven't the time to explain anymore. Time is of the essence. I don't know how much longer the Amina can stay open. You two must go to Edolas and find Magnolia and its people and rescue them. And while you two are doing that, I'll stay behind and keep a look out for anymore stragglers."

"Now wait just a minute!" barked Gajeel. "You expect us to go up to another world through some giant hole in the sky?! Not to mention that I'm still having a hard time believing all of this crazy stuff. How do we know that you're telling the truth?"

"Gajeel, I don't think he has any reason to lie," I spoke. "Besides, it's not like we have a lot of options right now. We might be the only two people that are left that can save Magnolia. We gotta trust him."

Mystogan then dug into his pocket handing me a strange item. It was a glass bottle that contained dozens of red ball-like pills.

"One more thing, you both need to take these with you," he said. "They're called X-balls. Since Edolas has a finite source of magic, when you both enter there, you'll both loose the ability to use your magic. However, when you take these, you'll regain them."

"Thanks Jella- I mean Mystogan," I spoke as I stuffed the pills in my pockets.

Mystogan then raised his staff as a blueish white glow enveloped our bodies. "Now... I'm going to send the both of you to through the Anima to Edolas," he said. "Good luck to the two of you and be careful. Remember, with the magic that you two possess, you both may be the only hope Fairy Tail and Magnolia has on saving them along with Natsu and Wendy."

"Wait a damn minute!" yelled Gajeel. "Can't you give us some more details first?! We don't even now where to start looking!"

"I guess we'll have to cross that bridge when we get there," I spoke.

Then before we both had a chance to react, the two of us were immediately shot upwards straight towards the sky heading straight toward the hole in the clouds. The clouds began to ripple as lightning flashed in front of us. The two of us shielded our eyes as we both saw nothing white entering the world of Edolas.

* * *

 _And with this, the Edolas arc has now officially begun!_

 _If you liked what you read or you want to leave me a couple of pointers, feel free to follow or give me a PM or a review!"_

 _Dragoman out!_


	70. Chapter 70 Edolas

_Another up and ready for you guys! Happy reading!_

* * *

Chapter 70

Edolas

Light completely overtook my eyes blinding me as the force of air whipped and lashed my face. I could feel my cheeks being stretched a little as I kept eyes shut. Then as quickly as the force came, it quickly disappeared along with the light and I was able to open my eyes. Then I felt a few force of wind on my body coming from my belly. I looked down and I could see the ground rapidly coming straight at me getting closer and closer. It didn't take me long to realize that I was falling and I wasn't the only one.

"Holy crap! We're falling!" yelled Gajeel. "I would definitely kill for a flying cat right about now!"

"Hold on Gajeel!" I shouted. "I'll get us out of this mess! WATER DRAGON WINGS!"

At my command, a pair of water wings sprouted from my back and I immediately flew to Gajeel to try and save him, but suddenly as quickly as my wings appeared, they suddenly vanished and I was once again falling.

"Wait! What happened?! Where'd my wings go?!" I cried wondering.

Then I suddenly remembered. I completely forgotten what Mystogan said about my magic not being to work due to Edolas' not having the magic Earth Land does, but thankfully I also remembered that he gave us something to counteract that effect. I hurriedly dug into my pocket and pulled out the bottle of X-balls. I opened it and quickly popped one into my mouth. As soon as I swallowed it, I felt the magic power surge within me.

"Let's try this again!" I spoke. "WATER DRAGON WINGS!"

Once more, a pair of water wings came forth from my back. This time they stayed. I swooped down towards a screaming Gajeel and scooped him up by his arms just in time. He was a tad heavy, but I was able to get up in the air.

"You OK, Gajeel?" I grunted flapping my wings.

The Iron Dragon Slayer whipped his head back and forth surprised that he wasn't falling anymore before looking up at me.

"Wait a minute! You have wings!" he exclaimed with shock. "Since when the hell can you fly?! Are you coping Salamander's and that rookie's cats or something?!"

"If you're talking about Happy and Carla, no I am not," I spoke.

Then I took notice of our surroundings. The first thing I was able to see was endless blue sky filled with clouds. But instead of seeing towns and villages from the Earth Land I knew, I saw several various different sized floating islands. Some were islands that were just large mountains while others had small mountains, some trees, and even had some wildlife here and here. And on the ground below a large forest laid seeming to spread for miles.

I felt amazed by this strange yet somehow beautiful scenery. "So this is Edolas," I murmured. "What a strange yet nice place."

Then Gajeel suddenly screamed catching my attention. "Hey! Look where you're going! You're gonna crash us into that rock!"

I looked up and I immediately saw a rock looming in front of us. With a startled scream, I immediately swooped down below and avoided the large rock just in the nick of time.

"Whew... well that was close," I spoke with relief.

"Can you not try to kill us while we're flying?" Gajeel snapped. "Seriously!"

"I"m sorry! Geez! There's no need to be rude," I spoke.

I then dipped down on the ground until we touched down on the ground safely dispersing my wings.

Gajeel then brushed himself off and looked around. "So this is Edolas huh?" he spoke. "Kinda looks like weird place if you ask me."

"I agree. This place certainly isn't like any place I've seen before," I spoke. "So now that we're here, we might as well start looking for where our friends and Magnolia are

"Do you even have an idea on where to start looking?" asked Gajeel. "We're practically in the middle of nowhere."

"Not really," I said thoughtfully looking around. "I suppose we can start by looking around to see if we can find our way around here. Maybe I can fly up and try to see if there's a town somewhere close by." I then handed Gajeel the bottle of X-balls. "In the meantime, take these. You're probably gonna want your magic at this point."

Gajeel looked at bottle seeming to have doubts, but he took a pill anyway and put it in his mouth swallowing. I then spread out my wings once again and with a might flap took off towards the treetops above. Once I was high enough, I began searching the area to see if there was any village or town. I could see nothing, but the islands floating, the trees, and the river in the sky, but nothing like a town.

Then suddenly, I heard a tremendous crash like something falling just below me. I looked down and saw a cloud of dust. I immediately swooped down thinking that it was some kind of enemy cloaking my hands with water ready to attack, but then I saw the reason of the noise and dust. Gajeel was standing by a fallen tree with his hand transformed into a large jagged steel blade.

"What the heck are you doing, Gajeel?!" I almost screamed.

"What's it look like? I was testing to see if my magic was working," said Gajeel. "Seems to be working just fine."

"Couldn't you have done that without chopping down the tree?" I asked in an angry tone. "Are you trying to attract attention?!" I then let out a sigh trying to calm down. "Look, we can't just go around causing destruction willy-nilly. Especially since that we're in a territory that we have no idea about. Could you try to avoid causing any more destruction?"

"Alright, alright," spoke Gajeel. "Geez. You're more naggy than Levy is."

"Let's just get walking," I said. "Someone will have most likely heard that noise and we can't afford to be seen. At least not yet."

The two of us then started walking through the jungle of trees. As we walked, we passed by various and strange animals and plants. So far we didn't anything as far as people, but I was hoping to find at least some form of civilization sometime soon. Hopefully when we did, I would be able to find our friends and rescue them.

We continued to walk for quite some time and still not being able to find anything or anyone. Soon we came to an open area just above a cliff with the flying and bending river gurgling and rushing just next to us.

"Damn it. This sucks."

I looked back at Gajeel happening to hear him. "What's wrong?" I asked.

"I can't smell a damn thing around here," spoke the Iron Dragon Slayer. "I don't know what the hell it is about this place, but something about it is messing up my nose. Can't even who what's what around here with all these new scents."

I then took a sniff with my own nose. What smelled was strange. It was mixture of various different smells probably coming from the plants and the animals. I've hardly had the chance to use my nose which was decently as good as any other dragon slayer, but even I could tell that Gajeel was right.

"You're right. I don't even know what I'm smelling," I spoke. "It's gonna be difficult for us to find our way around here if we can't use our noses. Maybe I can use my Aqua Sense spell to find any signs of life or at least a town somewhere."

"Aqua Sense? What's that?" puzzled Gajeel. "Some kind of Water sensing spell or something?"

"Something like that. It's a spell that allows me to sense water and magic within a target," I explained. "If there are any people close by within my sensing area, I will able to see where they're at. However my limit is about a couple miles, so I was going to use the river to amplify the spell so I can search farther than my normal limit."

I then dipped my hand in the river and closed my eyes. My body began to glow in a slight blue as I saw the strange blue shapes in my mind via the river. Most of the things I saw were large blobby shapes representing the local creatures that roamed around the area and the long wavy blue line represented the river.

So far, I couldn't detect anything that was in the form of a human. Then I took notice of a peculiar blue shape that was on the move. It was big like the other creatures, but it had large wings, a rather long tail, and was moving at an incredible speed. I wondered which direction it was going at first, but then the creature suddenly turned direction and that was when I realized that whatever it was, it coming right toward our location.

I opened my eyes taking my hand out of the water and immediately looked up at Gajeel. "We gotta hide! Now!"

"What is it?" asked Gajeel. "Did you see something?"

"Just do as I say!" I spoke urgently. "Hide! Now!"

I grabbed Gajeel by the arm and pulled him along while running until we got to some bushes hiding ourselves. At that moment, something flew right above our heads making the wind whip at the trees in the area. The creature was large and had pig-like appearance, had smooth, dark fur, four paws with five talons on each other them, a flat, pointed head, and large, round, beady eyes. It also had very sharp teeth fused to its maw with strange beard of sorts, two very large black horns, and on its back a pair of black wings, and a long, whip-like tail.

The beast flew right past us before turning around landing on the ground with a earth shaking thump. Then something from on top of the beast landed on the ground. It appeared to be a young man who had strange arrow-like eyebrows, messy dark purple hair with one thick lock of white hair near the front right side, wore a strange white uniform consisting of a long coat with gold trim and metal shoulder guards over matching pants and a dark green shirt, decorated with an olive green criss-crossing line pattern.

"That's weird. I thought for sure I saw some people around here," the man wondered. "I was hoping to ask them about that fallen tree a few miles back."

I immediately looked at Gajeel glaring at him mouthing the words 'I told you so.' The Iron Dragon looked back at me giving me a glare that said how was he supposed to know. The boy with purple hair walked forward getting closer and closer to our hiding place. Gajeel slowly started to get up no doubt ready to fight and I tensed up my hands ready to summon my blades. The man grew closer and closer and just when I thought we were about to be discovered, we heard a shrieking noise. The young man stopped and looked up to the source of the sound as did we from our hiding place.

From above, another creature just like the one the purple haired man was riding on, landed right next to it. On top of it was two people who jumped off the creature and landed on the ground. The first was a young man that was tall, had blue eyes, blonde hair in pompadour style, and wore pink armor with black briefs. The second person that landed appeared to be a young woman with flowing red hair wearing a dark blue scarf around her neck, black armor comprising of a revealing, halter-type breastplate with light-armored gauntlets and greaves on her forearms and forelegs matching in color and also wore a dark bikini bottom with a piece of cloth obscuring her hips. As soon as I saw the woman face, my eyes widened in shock. For that woman's face was exactly similar to a certain red headed girl in our guild, only this woman appeared to be a bit more less than friendly looking.

"It's... it's Erza!" I thought. "But... how is she here? I thought she was sucked up by the Anima."

Erza and the man with pink armor went over to the young man with purple hair, the young man of which was a bit surprised upon seeing them.

"Erza. Sugarboy. What are you two doing here?" he asked.

The man in pink armor who was identified as Sugarboy let out a hum before responding. "That's something that we were about to ask you, Hughes," he spoke. "But if you must know, Erza and I were tracking down that troublesome guild, Fairy Tail. But sadly they managed to escape before we had a chance using a teleportation spell."

"Aw, no way!" groaned Hughes. "You mean those stupid fairies away again?! "

"I'm afraid so," replied Sugarboy. "If it was me, I wouldn't waste all that magic power in one shot like that. But then again I gotta give them some credit. However troublesome that dark guild is, they sure are a resourceful and fleet-footed bunch."

"You shouldn't praise those insects," scoffed Erza coldly. "If they're buzzing around, you should squash them immediately."

"And yet we've never managed to catch them," spoke Sugarboy. "But I'm not worried. They can only teleport so much. It's just a matter of time, that's all." He then looked at Hughes. "In any case, we have tidings of joy Hughes. The Giant Anima Plan was a success."

Hughes eyes went wide with excitement as he grinned ear to ear. "No way! Really?! That's awesome!"

"Yes. It's almost hard to believe, isn't it?" continued Sugarboy. "I would have told Knightwalker too, but I wanted wait till we met up with you first."

"And what of the Earth Land's Fairy Tail?" asked Erza. "Has it been destroyed along with its wizards when they were sucked into the Anima?"

"To put it precisely, it has been "absorbed"." explained Sugarboy. "The entire town of Magnolia as well as its wizards and people are enjoying their stay as part of a giant lacrima just above the Royal City."

"Splendid," Erza said flashing an dark smile. "Then Edolas' should have ample magic power for quite some time."

"Speaking of the Royal City, the king wants all captains of the magic warfare units to return there," Sugarboy hummed. "I believe that he wants to go over some things regarding the lacrima."

"Man! I can't wait to see it!" Hughes spoke eagerly. "What are we waiting for? I wanna see it myself!"

"Calm yourself Hughes," chided Knightwalker. "You're acting like a child."

"Well can you blame me? This is huge!" spoke Hughes as he leaped onto his creature. "No scratch that, this is awesome!"

Erza Knightwalker then hopped on top of her creature as well with Sugarboy following suit. The two beasts then flapped their wings and then took off into the air until they disappeared from sight. When we were sure they were gone, me and Gajeel came out from our hiding place having to have heard everything they had just said.

"Did you hear all of that?" I asked letting out a shaky breath.

"Every single word," replied Gajeel. "So that's happened to our guild. Should've known they'd be carted off to some crazy place like that. Just our luck."

"Yeah... I know... not to mention that woman who looked like Erza. She looked just like the Erza that we know, but she wasn't," I said. "Not only that, but I heard then mention that there's a version of Fairy Tail in this world and it's a dark guild."

"Well at least we know one thing," said Gajeel. "We now know where to start looking. They called it the Royal City. I say we get on over there and check it out."

"Sounds like a plan, but where should we go?" I wondered. "I mean we have no idea where we are or if there's a town close by."

The two of us then looked around trying to see anything that could help us. Then I saw the very thing that we needed. On a road a few feet away from us was a small road. And on that road was a small carrt being driven by a strange beast. The driver was a young man with short brown hair with a young woman who had long black hair.

The two of us immediately went over to road and I was just about to wave at the man to get him to stop, but then Gajeel came up to them first.

"Hey! You two! We need a ride! Mind giving us one?!" he called out.

The two took one look the long black haired man and they screamed in terror. With one whip of the reigns, the cart rolled away as fast as its wheels could carry it. Gajeel and I stared dumbly at the carriage as it disappeared.

"What the hell was their problem?" wondered Gajeel. "I was just going to ask them for help."

"Who knows? Maybe they were scared of you for some reason," I shrugged. "We'll catch the next person that passes, but I'll stop them this time."

We then waited for another person to pass by. Soon enough, another cart came rumbling in the distance. This one had a driver that was a little old woman. She appeared to be pretty young for her age with only a few wrinkles on her face and she also was pretty fit. She also had long greying red hair tied in a braid.

I waved at the woman signaling her to stop. As soon as the woman saw me, she gently pulled on the reigns making the beast that was pulling her carriage come to a stop.

"Who are you two?" she asked carefully looking at us.

"Sorry to trouble you ma'am, but we're travelers not from around here," I said. "We were trying to get to the Royal City, but we somehow got lost. We were hoping that you could give us a ride or at least point us to the right direction."

"Well, Louen is the next city down this road," spoke the old woman thoughtfully. "And I'm heading back there myself, so why don't you boys hop on and I'll give you a ride. These woods can be pretty dangerous if you're not careful. There's lots of monsters in this forest. In fact, I'm surprised that you two haven't run into one just yet."

"We're just lucky I guess," I spoke as I climbed in the cart. "Thank you very much for helping us."

Gajeel then climbed in as well and then with a whip of the reigns, the carriage was on the move again. As we rode along, I felt grateful that we were able to hitch a ride, but at the same time I couldn't help but feel worried about everyone in the guild. If what those royal guards were saying was true, then the Anima turned them along with everyone else in Magnolia into a giant lacrima. It also made me wonder why me and Gajeel were the only two people that had survived getting sucked into the Anima. Could it have been because that we were dragon slayers? If that was true, then there was possibility that Natsu and Wendy may have survived too. If they had, where were they? Were they even in Edolas right now?

"So many questions and yet no answers," I mumbled to myself.

"So what business do you boys have at the Royal City?" asked the woman. "If you don't mind me asking."

"Well... you see..." I started.

"We're looking for our friends," Gajeel cut in. "We think that they're somewhere in the Royal City."

"Ah. I see," spoke the woman. "Well if your friends are anywhere, they're sure to be somewhere in Louen. Hopefully you'll be able to find them."

"Yeah... I hope so too," I spoke as I looked up towards the sky as the cart rumbled and rolled along.

The cart kept on rolling while we sat there in silence as the old woman drove the cart. We passed through the forest and were now in a desert. As we rolled along, the woman gave us some cloaks to wear to shield us from the sun which worked out for the both us. They both kept our faces hidden and it kept me cool, so I wouldn't get dehydrated. Soon enough, we could see the town of Louen and eventually came into it. The place seemed to be a bit run down with the buildings looking dusty and old, but the people living in this town went about their daily routines either selling food or living their lives.

"What's with this place?" I heard Gajeel ask. "It's like the entire town is poor or something."

"It's been like this for a years now," spoke the old woman. "This town used to be a place where you can trade magic as a necessity, but then the King placed a ban on magic making it illegal. Just possessing it is a crime. He even went as far as to send his royal army to hunt down magic guilds."

"You're kidding..." I spoke looking at the woman.

"I'm surprised you didn't know," said the old woman looking back at me. "I would have assumed that you knew already since you're travelers."

"Well... we haven't been here before," I said quickly coming up with an excuse. "We come from a different town and this is the first time we've seen this place."

The old woman looked at me her eyes narrowing somewhat suspiciously, but she shrugged her shoulders and went back to looking at the road. Then, she gently pulled back on the reigns and the cart came to a stop just outside of a building.

"Well, this is as far as I can take you boys," spoke the old woman. "You can keep those cloaks since this is your first time here. It can get really hot at times, so you'll need them."

Gajeel and I then got off of the cart, thanked the old woman, and then went on our way.

* * *

 **NO POV**

Meanwhile in the Royal City, quite a distance away from Louen, in a throne room, a lone old man stood sitting on his throne. He was a tall, slim elderly man with long gray hair with a long bear to match. He wore garish robes different places in shades of brown and a hat which was reminiscent of something a bishop would wear.

Then someone burst into the room. It was a young girl with light brown hair tied in ponytail hanging on her shoulder. She was barefooted, wore yellow dress over a dark blue, skin-tight bodysuit and also had white gloves on both hands. She also had a face a bit similar to a puppy's.

"Your majesty!" she cried. "Your majesty, your majesty, your majesty, your majesty!" She ran darting all around the room before screeching to a halt just in front of the old man. "I've just received word that the Giant Anima was a success! We will be able to extract the magic from the giant lacrima within four days' time as scheduled."

"It's not enough..." spoke the old man. "It's not enough, Coco."

The girl who was named Coco ran around the room before running back to the old man stopping again. "I'm sorry your majesty, what did you say just now?" she asked.

"I said it's not going to be enough, Coco," repeated the old man.

Coco then started running once again going around the room. "But Faust my king," she spoke as she ran. "With all due respect, the lacrima in the Royal City contains an entire Earth Land which should have more than enough magic power to keep Edolas supplied for the next ten years."

"I won't be satisfied until my kingdom of Edolas is free from all restrictions," spoke the old man darkly as he stood up. "My kingdom of Edolas will not be allowed to be finite of magic power and there's only one way that can happen..." He then stood up with a look of madness on his face as he stood up throwing out his arms. "In order to be free, what we need is a source of magic power that is everlasting! And I won't stop till I get it!"

He then let out a throaty and loud cackle as it echoing throughout the throne room.

* * *

 _If you like what you read or if you got some pointers for me or if you want to leave a review for me, PM and review me!_

 _Dragoman out!_


	71. Chapter 71 The Demon Swordsman

Chapter 71

The Demon Swordsman

Soon enough, Erza Knightwalker, Sugarboy, and Hughes made it to the Royal Capital which was also the headquarters. When they arrived, they all took a good look at the giant lacrima that was hovering just above the city.

"Oh crap! Look at the size of that thing!" cried Hughes. "It's huge! Isn't it awesome Erza?!"

"I saw it Hughes," replied Erza. "I saw it when we arrived. It is rather exquisite."

"Yes. That lacrima alone contains the magic power of tens of thousands of people which is the equivalent of a hundred wizards," hummed Sugarboy. "Not to mention that it also contains other people inside as well."

"Never mind the details, Suagrboy! The point is that it's awesome!" said Hughes excitedly. "I mean do you guys even understand how awesome that lacrima even is?! It's like super mega awesome!"

Then another man came walking up to them. He was a short elderly man who had a strange nose and large eyes with horned eyebrows on top of them. His body was covered mostly by a cape that was decorated, which had a wide collar and two large medal-like ornaments on the front with a simple dark robe underneath it.

The man looked at Erza with a slight condescending look. "Miss Erza, I heard that you still haven't been able to eliminate the Fairy Tail guild," he snickered. "I'm starting to wonder when you will be able to wipe out that troublesome guild. You're starting to tarnish your name as Fairy Tail."

Erza eyes narrowed at the man. "Byro. So you're here too," she spoke.

"Fairy Tail is the only magic guild that's remaining and hasn't disbanded," continued Byro. "I understand that they're the fastest when it comes to run away making them difficult to track down, but his majesty's patience is at an end and is demanding results."

"Now, now. No need to rush the lady," said Sugarboy. "The day the goddess fells the fairies is close at hand."

"They think they're tough, but those fairies don't stand a stance against her," added Hughes. "Besides, Erza's awesome with a sword! She'll finish them with one fell swoop, you'll see!"

Byro replied with a throaty laugh. "We'll soon see," he said.

Then someone else came walking to them. The being had a muscular build like a human's, but had the face and head of a panther with his own battle armor with a cape draped around his body.

"It would be wise to cease that unnerving laugh of yours Byro," the being spoke. "I don't like annoying noise and it's grating my nerves. And that also goes for you too, Hughes."

Hughes glared at the being feeling angry. "What the heck's your problem, Pantherlily?!" he snapped. "You swank around thinking that you're so much better than the rest of us. Well, you'd better think again because you're not awesome at all!"

"And you need to watch your mouth," Panterlily shot back.

He then walked past the captains and Byro not saying another word.

"My, my. It seems that Pantherlily's in a bad mood," mused Sugarboy.

"He's apparently displeased by the sudden increase of armament," spoke Erza.

"Is that all? I thought that he'd be elated," spoke Sugarboy. "Especially since that he's a military man himself."

"You would think that, however our kingdom has nearly united the entire world," said Erza thoughtfully. "I must admit that even I see no reason to build our arsenal any further."

"Perhaps it has to be with something to do with the pockets of resistance that are still out there," Sugarboy hummed thoughtfully.

"That may be so," said Erza. "But we're perfectly capable of handing them ourselves."

"Aw, come on! Would you guys speak in plain English please?!" cried Hughes in frustration. "I don't understand a thing you're saying!"

"Then maybe you should learn to keep your eyes and ears open rather than your mouth," said a voice. "You always were the type of person who doesn't listen Hughes."

Everyone in the hallway then heard the sounds of clanging footsteps following the voice. They then saw another person walking down the hall from the opposite direction.

The person coming wore black armor covering mostly the upper body with a large chest plate and semi-heavy armor on the shoulders and arms with a white bodysuit underneath exposing the abdominal region. The person also wore a traditional hakama matching the color of the bodysuit that had ballooning pants with black metal boots with a long sword strapped to the side. On top of the head was long silver hair that went to the waist tied in a ponytail and a helmet matching in color of the armor that was completely faceless and had three horns on it. Two of them were on the sides and one in the middle.

The moment that everyone saw this being walking towards them, everyone went silent seeming to be surprised and frightened upon seeing the being with the exception of Erza who kept a neutral expression.

"It's... it's you...!" murmured Hughes. "But... what are you doing here?!"

"His majesty, King Faust summoned for me," the being spoke in a low and metallic voice. "Since you appear to be having trouble tracking down that troublesome guild, I was summoned to help with the search and eliminate the guild and its people once and for all."

Erza then looked towards Byro. "Did you know anything about this?" she asked.

"Perhaps. Or perhaps not," smirked Byro letting out a wicked chuckle. "Besides, what does it matter? You now have someone else helping in the search, Miss Erza. And who better to have with than one of the most deadliest and most powerful warriors in our arsenal?"

Suddenly the black armored person looked at Byro seeming to be glaring at him. "Don't get so cocky, old man. I'm here because the king summoned me here, not you. I only take orders from the king and him alone. All those who dare to give me orders or stand in the way of my king's will, shall meet the end of my blade."

Byro wasn't smirking anymore. "You dare say that to me? You superior?" he demanded. "I don't care if you are the king's loyal servant, you'd better learn your place, you filthy-"

The black armored person then drew its sword and pointed it dangerously at Byro's face. The other captains immediately readied their weapons thinking that the black armored being was going to kill Byro, but thankfully the being kept his sword pointed at his face threatening to stab him.

"It would be wise for you to mind your tongue when speaking to me, old man," the black armored being spoke. "We may be on the same side, but I refuse to be ordered around by someone as senile and cowardly as you."

"Now, now. Let's not do anything hasty," spoke Sugarboy calmly. "Why don't you settle down and put away the sword?"

"Kuromen, lay down your sword," said Erza. "As annoying as Byro is, he's still the Chief of Staff. If you kill him, the king will be greatly displeased with you. And you wouldn't want that, would you?"

Kuromen looked at Erza and after a few seconds, then he calmly sheathed his sword with a clink.

"Very well. As you say Miss Knightwalker," he spoke. "I apologize for any trouble that I have caused. Now if you'll excuse me..."

And with that, Kuromen walked away leaving Erza, Sugarboy, and Hughes staring at his back as he walked while Byro was holding his hand to his chest trying to calm his pounding heart. Erza especially watched Kuromen in a mixture of emotions. Mostly, anger towards Kuromen for pointing his sword at Byro, fear from how intimidating he was, and awestruck from him not taking anything from Byro.

"Oh man... I never thought that the king would summon him here," hummed Sugarboy. "He's as defiant and intense as ever."

"Who the hell is that guy?!" asked Hughes. "And what is with that attitude of his?!"

"I'm surprised that you didn't know, Hughes. Then again... it's been a while since I've last seen him," spoke Sugarnoy. "He's known for being one of the most strongest warriors in all of Edolas, on par with Erza. He's also a frightening fellow. So much so that even Pantherlily steers clear of him. I recall Erza here fighting that person and she had barely managed to beat him."

"Not only that, but around the time when the king wanted all the guilds to be disbanded, he's been able to destroy a large number of them all by himself," spoke Erza. "Because of that, he's known by a couple of names. 'The Black Beast.' 'The Masked Samurai.' But the king as well as everyone who comes across him calls him by another name... Kuromen the Demon Swordsman."

Hughes looked at Erza incredulously before looking back towards Kuromen's disappearing figure.

"Whoa... that... is totally awesome..." he murmured. "But also... freaking scary."

 **WILLY'S POV**

The two of us walked all around town trying to search for any clues or information about the Royal City or anything about the lacrima that was Magnolia, but we didn't find anything. We even went as far as to split up to cover more ground, but we still didn't find anything. Eventually, the two of us met up in an alley, so we wouldn't be seen and so no one would hear us.

"Any luck finding anything?" I asked Gajeel.

"Nothing. I couldn't find a single thing in this town worth mentioning," replied Gajeel.

"Man... what now?" I wondered. "Where are we supposed to go from here?"

"Well, I guess we'll just have to start asking around," said Gajeel. "It should make things a little easier."

The two then exited the alley taking the hoods off of our heads and then went around trying to ask people for some information.

I went up to a young woman and her two kids that happened to walk by. "Excuse me ma'am," he said. "But may I have a moment of your time and I ask you something?"

The young woman took one look at Willy and not only didn't respond to him, but walked away taking her kids with her.

Gajeel came up to a young man that was walking by. "Yo. Mind if I ask you something?" he asked.

The man looked at Gajeel and walked right past seeming to be ignoring him.

"Hey! Get back here," Gajeel spoke crossly. "I'm talking to ya!"

But the man paid no attention as he continued on. Me and Gajeel tried again and again asking people, but one after another they would either walk past ignoring us or would just avoid us entirely.

Gajeel was now starting to feel irritated. "What's their problem?!" he growled. "Some friendly place this Edolas place is. These jerks make the other jerks we have to deal with back at home look like a bunch of saints."

"No kidding," I agreed. "But we can't give up now. There's gotta be someone we can ask around here."

We continued walking around hoping to ask someone else to help us, when we noticed a group of three men snickering and glaring at us. One was tall, had a small afro of gray hair with a beard to match and wore a green long sleeved shirt and brown pants, one was average sized, had a brown mohawk of sorts, and wore a blue shirt with a purple jack with white pants, and the third was short having a large brown afro wearing a brown vest with a white shirt underneath with gray pants. They all also had mustaches and wore black sunglasses.

I for one wanted nothing to do with them considering my recent experience with thugs like these, but Gajeel was smirking from cheek to cheek as he went over to them.

"Gajeel, hold a minute," I said. "You don't need to bother with those guys. They're obviously looking for trouble."

"Yeah. You may be right about that, but there's one thing that's the same wherever you go," smirked Gajeel. "There's always some clowns that can be convinced to helping you out."

Gajeel was soon right in front of the three men. The three of them scowled at the iron dragon slayer not wanting to back down.

"Hey punk. You looking to start something with us?" asked the mohawk guy.

"Yeah. Step off you horsefly!" scowled the brown afro guy.

"Lousy horsefly? Me? You must be talking about somebody else," spoke Gajeel.

"Who else would I be talking about?" said the mohawk man. "Unless you've gone deaf in the ear."

"If you don't like 'horsefly', then how about maggot instead?" laughed the brown afro guy.

All three then laughed rudely at Gajeel thinking what they said was pretty funny. Gajeel wasn't amused.

"It wasn't that funny," he spoke.

Then Gajeel gave the mohawk guy a hard and wicked headbutt right in the middle of the guy's nose causing the guy to fall flat on his back dazed and stunned. I for one couldn't help, but wince at the hard blow.

"Oh man, he'll be feeling that tomorrow," I murmured.

The other two men then glared at Gajeel now angry at him for hitting their leader. "You bastard! You wanna piece of us?!" they roared as they clenched their fists and swung them aiming for Gajeel's face. Their fists slammed into Gajeel's forehead with a mighty clang, but he wasn't fazed by the attack at all. Considering the fact that he was an Iron Dragon Slayer, Gajeel's skin was harder than... well iron, making the blows ineffective.

The two men recoiled in pain holding their fists in agony as they throbbed and swelled. Gajeel then punched the brown afro guy in the nose while he punched the guy with gray hair in the gut making the two fall down to the ground in pain. The mohawk guy recovered from the blow and saw his two buddies on the ground. He wasn't feeling very confident anymore. Gajeel then grabbed a guy by the collar pulling him up close to his face as he glared at him threateningly.

"Listen, a giant lacrima shoulda popped up somewhere around here recently," he said. "And you and your buddies are gonna tell us where to find it. So start talking!"

"I-I-I dunno!" the mohawk guy squeaked shaking his head furiously. "I have no idea where it is!"

"Is that so? Then maybe I should jog your memory," spoke Gajeel. "Get ready for another wallop."

He brought his head back about to headbutt him again, but I immediately came up placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Gajeel, that's enough," I said. "There's no need to get excessive."

The mohawk guy nodded furiously his face now pale with fear. "Yes! Please don't hit me!" he begged. "We honestly don't know! I swear! Right fellas?"

The mohawk guy's two friends shakily got back on and nodded not having any idea either.

Gajeel clicked his tongue and then let go of the mohawk guy. "Fine then. Guess we'll have to ask someone else then," he said. "You guys are off the hook, so get lost will ya?"

"Geez. What the heck happened you, Gajeel?" asked the mohawk guy. "I mean when the heck did you get so strong all of a sudden?"

"Wait... do you mean to say that you guys know him?" I asked.

"Yeah, but I never would have took him for the kind of guy who go around picking fights with people," said the brown afro guy. "Normally you'd just stay out of the way or disappear."

"I doubt that these guys would know Gajeel personally," I thought. "So they must be talking about someone that looks like him. Could it be Gajeel's Edolas counterpart?"

I looked back at Gajeel and I could tell that he was thinking the same thing I was.

"Look, you must got me confused with someone else," said Gajeel. "I may look him, but we just look alike. That's all."

"You sure? Because you definitely look like him," said the mohawk guy. "Like exactly like him."

"Just answer a question of ours," I cut in. "What does the Gajeel you know do for a living around here?"

"He's a freelance journalist and has a notorious reputation in Edolas for being way too nosy about stuff," said the mohawk man. "That guy's written a whole bunch of magazine and newspaper articles criticizing the king."

"Yeah. And that's also the reason why no one in town can stand him," added the brown afro man. "He's a real busybody."

"Well, I guess that explains why everyone wasn't talking to us," I said. "They must have assumed that we were freelance journalists."

"But you gotta admit it though, a freelance journalist sounds interesting," smirked Gajeel. "I say we go meet this guy, so we can get the scoop on him."

"Do any of you know where to find this Gajeel?" I asked the three. "If you do know, that would really help us out."

"I heard that he's somewhere in Sycca City," said the gray haired man. "We don't know for sure if that's where he is, but it's a good place to start."

"But if you're planning to go there, you two better watch out for the Royal Army," said the mohawk man. "If you guys tick them off in anyway, they'll arrest you on the spot!"

"Duly noted," I replied. "Thank you very much for the info."

Gajeel and I then walked off leaving the three men behind us.

"Well then, I guess we're heading to Sycca City," I said. "Hopefully it's not very far. Although, it would help if we have some kind of map. That way we can at least know where we are."

I looked around trying to find some form of a map. Then I saw a male merchant next to us and saw that he had a bunch of papers of which I could assume that they were maps. I went over to the merchant and then got myself a map and went over to Gajeel opening it up.

"Well, what do you know," said Gajeel. "Edolas looks just like back home if not only a little different when it comes to names."

I took a quick scan of the map until I found our current location.

"Alright. This is where we were when we first came to Edolas," I said pointing to an area on the left as I traced over to another area to where the map said Louen. "And this is where we're currently at right now." Then I traced over to the part of the map that read Sycca. "And this is where those guys said where we'd find Edolas Gajeel." I then traced my finger over to where it said Royal City. "And this is the Royal City is where the lacrima containing Magnolia and all of our friends is located."

"Damn... that's a long ways away," spoke Gajeel. "Not only that, but those guys mentioned something about there being soldiers over there. As if things can't get anymore complicated."

"Well, let's take things one step at a time," I said. "First, we'll head over to Sycca and try and see if we can find the Edolas Gajeel. Maybe he knows a way for us to get to the Royal City without having to walk there. Till then, I guess we'd better start walking."

I had just started to walk hoping to get to Sycca as soon as possible, but then Gajeel grabbed my wrist stopping me.

"Hold on a minute. If we're going to this Sycca place, then we'll need to get there as quickly as possible," he said. He then flashed a mischievous toothy smile. "And I know just the way to get there quick."

I gave Gajeel a sideways glare immediately knowing what he had in mind. "No way. You can just forget it."

"Oh come on! I didn't even say what it was yet, ya jerk!" complained Gaeel.

"You didn't need to. I already know exactly what you were thinking," I spoke huffily. "You were planning on having me carry you as we use my wings to get to Sycca, right?"

"Good guess," smirked Gajeel. "You must be psychic or something."

"It's not gonna happen," I said crossing my arms. "I never exactly carried an actual person for that great a distance before and you're not exactly the lightest person out there considering that you're an Iron Dragon Slayer. Not only that, but we can't just use our magic out in the open like this. If someone saw us, we could get arrested catching the unwanted attention of the king."

"Then we'll just have to not let anyone see us then," said Gajeel. "Besides, you were able to carry me before."

"That was only because we practically were in the sky when we entered falling to our deaths!" I cried.

"Oh, quit with the whining and excuses," scoffed Gajeel. "We really don't have a lot of options at this point. With your wings, we'll be able to get there in no time at all and without having to walk. You do wanna save our friends right?"

I let out an exasperated sigh gently facepalming my forehead. "Well... I guess if you put it like that... but don't come crying to me if we fall to the ground due to your weight."

"Shut up. I'm not that heavy," Gajeel said. "And if you drop me, I'll give you a knuckle sandwich!"

Gajeel and I then scaled on top of one of the tallest buildings making sure we were high enough, so no one could see us. This was the second time I had to carry him, but I had many concerns about flying this time around. The first was someone seeing us and second, the desert that laid ahead which was the direction of where Sycca was. I really didn't want to fly through that, but I didn't really have any choice in the matter. Time was of the essence. I just had to hope that I didn't get too hot or dehydrated.

Gajeel on the other hand was excited. "Alright. You ready to fly, Water boy?" he asked. "Cuz the sky's calling my name!"

I looked at Gajeel scowling a little. "I'm going to pretend that you didn't call me that," I said. "But yes. I suppose I am. Make sure you hang on."

I then took hold of Gajeel by his arms and then spread my water wings. Then I concentrated my magic power towards my feet. Then...

"WATER DRAGON AQUA JET!"

Like a rocket, water gushed from the bottoms of my feet and we shot into the air like a rocket. When were high enough into the air, I spread my wings and my feet gushed with water as were now flying. As we flew, I was a bit surprised to find that while he did have some weight, he wasn't all that heavy. Speaking of the Iron Dragon, his eyes seemed to sparkle with excitement as we flew.

"Man! This is the only way to travel!" he whooped. "This just be how Salamander and that sky girl feel when they fly with their kitty cats!"

"Don't get used to it!" I called. "Just be sure to hang on!"

And with that, I flared my feet as we shot across the desert heading towards Sycca flying as fast as my wings could carry me.

 _I've noticed my lack of updating on the Wikipedia of this story, so I'll try to work on updating it now._

 _Till then, you know what to do. PM and Review me if you have any questions._

 _Dragoman out!_


	72. Chapter 72 Gajeel and Gajeel

Chapter 72

Gajeel and Gajeel

In the town of Sycca, everyone was bustling around to and fro going about their daily business. The town itself looked very different then Louen with the buildings all in various different shapes. The town also looked like something you'd see in Vegas or any other place with casinos with lights flashing with different colors and words.

In a particular pub, there were various people drinking it up inside laughing and having a good time or drinking to drown their sorrows away. The bar itself looked very luxurious compared to the bars back in Louen. The tables were fancy and had polished wood and even the chairs where cushioned perfect for comfort. The bar itself even had specialized drinks that you can only get here in Sycca.

As the people continued to booze it up, there was one among them who was sitting on a stool by the counter all by himself sipping a cup of coffee. He wore a dark blue suit with a red tie with a hat that matched, had a familiar set of red eyes with a pair of glasses in front of them, and had short, curly black hair hiding underneath his hat. He also seemed to be carefully observing and listening his surroundings keeping an eye out for anything interesting or worth noting.

Then the barkeeper came up to the man polishing a cup with a cloth.

"Hey there mac," he said. "You want a refill of coffee?"

"Of course I do," said the man. "Thank you very much."

The barkeeper took the man's empty cup and then grabbed a pitcher of coffee and poured until the cup was filled. Then he placed the cup in front of the man.

"Here you go," said the barkeeper. "You know, I'm surprised that you're not boozing it up here like everyone else has. Aren't you gonna have a cup?"

The man in the black suit shook his head as he took his cup. "No alcohol for me thank you," he said. "I'm not particularly fond of it very much. It can mess up a man's sense of reason if you drink too much. Besides, I'm on the job."

He then took a small sip of coffee and continued sitting there waiting for something to happen.

* * *

 **NO POV**

Eventually, me and Gajeel had made it to Sycca after a half an hour of flying. I felt a bit exhausted due to carrying Gajeel, but I was thankful that we made it to our destination within that time. But a huge cup of water sounded pretty good right about now. However, there wasn't anytime for me to stop and rest. Me and Gajeel had to look around and find his Edolas version and find some information regarding the Royal City and where our friends and the people of Magnolia were. Well, I did most of the asking since Edolas Gajeel had a pretty bad reputation around Edolas.

Our findings eventually led us to a particular pub in the middle of town, thanks to an eyewitness. We soon came to the pub and we headed inside. As we grew closer and closer to it, I was silently praying that Gajeel didn't stir up trouble and at the same time hoping that I would be able to drink some water as we stepped inside. We walked in quietly so that we wouldn't draw in attention and each took a seat beside a man at the counter of the bar. I immediately took notice of the man who was at the bar.

"Excuse me," I said. "Can I get some water please? A really big one?"

"A strange thing to ask in a bar," said the barkeeper. "But sure thing. Coming right up."

The barkeeper then got a large mug and poured some water in it and placed it on the counter in front of me. I immediately took it and gulped it all down having to be finally savoring the taste of water for the first time in a while. I soon finished and I placed the mug back on the counter letting out a satisfying sigh.

"Another one please," I said.

The barkeeper gawked at me surprised a bit, but he took my mug and went to get me some more water. Gajeel couldn't help but look at me as if I did something completely crazy.

"Geez. Take it easy Water Boy," he said. "The water's not gonna go anywhere. Not to mention, you're gonna attract some attention."

"First of all, my name is Willy, so please stop calling me that," I spoke huffily. "Secondly, I had to carry you across a hot desert which might I add had to use quite a bit of magic power to get us here and the desert made me thirsty as heck. I'll take it easy when I've had my fill of water."

The barkeeper then set down another cup of water in front of me and I began gulping that down too. At this point, I honestly didn't care if someone was watching me. I needed some water and if I was going to be fighting in the future or if I was going to be up to full strength, I was gonna need all the water I could get. Soon enough, I drank over about five cups of water and I was just about to get started on my sixth cup, when I happened to overhear a conversation at a table close to us between a group of three men.

"Hey did you guys hear the news?" one asked. "About that giant lacrima in the Royal City?"

"Yeah. Sure did," said another. "The king is going to extract magic power from that huge thing two days from now."

I immediately stopped drinking from my mug of water and gave Gajeel a sideways look. He looked at me as well thinking exactly what I was thinking. The two of us then kept quiet and listened in on the conversation hoping to hear a little more of what the men were talking about.

"I heard about that too, but it kinda freaks me out," said the third. "To be perfectly honest, I'm curious as to how they were able to harvest that much power. I mean... heard some people say that they swiped it from another world or something."

"I'm just hoping that they know what they're doing," said the first. "Heck, I'm not even sure that what they're doing is a good idea. Messing with magic power like that is just asking for trouble."

The men's friends that started at him with surprise and some slight fear.

"Hey. Watch your mouth!" said the first in a hushed whisper. "From the way you're talking, it's like you're criticizing the king's way of doing things!"

"Yeah. Are you questioning the methods of our great king?!" demanded the second.

"No! It's nothing like that at all!" insisted the third. "I'm loyal you guys! Truly!"

At that moment, Gajeel got up from his seat and began walking over to the three.

"Gajeel! Wait a minute!" I whispered harshly. "What are you doing?!"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Gajeel spoke. "I'm gonna get some info from these guys."

"Wait a minute...!" I cried whispering.

But however much I tried to get Gajeel to listen to me, he wouldn't as he grew closer and closer to the three as they continued talking.

"Come on. There's no need to worry," spoke the second. "Everything will work out in the end. Just leave it to his majesty and Edolas will be sitting pretty."

Then Gajeel with me in tow came up to them. At the very same time, a man with a dark blue suit came up as well holding a notepad and pencil. Then the two of them spoke at the exact same time.

"Interesting conversation. You three punks mind telling me what you know in detail?"

"Interesting conversation. You three fellows mind telling me what you know in detail?"

Then me and Gajeel looked at the man with the blue suit and the man with the blue suit looked at us. The moment we saw each other, our eyes widened in surprise. Me and Gajeel were especially surprised. For the man before us was none other the Edolas Gajeel. He looked just like the Gajeel I knew, but his hair was short and curly instead of long and spiky, wore a pair of glasses, and also had no piercings except for his earrings. Other than that, it was just like looking at mirror.

"What... what in the..." Gajeel murmured.

"Well, looks like we found your Edolas counterpart Gajeel," I said. "Although it's kinda scary how much you two look alike."

"Who... who are you two?" demanded Edolas Gajeel. "And... why does one of you look just like me?"

"Please don't be alarmed," I spoke. "We're just here to talk. In fact, we've been looking for you for quite some time Gajeel. I mean... Edolas Gajeel. May we have a moment of your time?"

Edolas Gajeel raised a brow still feeling a bit doubtful, but he nodded. "Alright then. I'll hear what you two have to say, but I expect you two to tell me everything you know."

"That's our line pal," said Gajeel.

The three of us then left the pub and walked around, so the three of us could be alone. TThen we began telling Edolas Gajeel our whole story. Our story about how we got here to Edolas, about Mystogan sending us here, and even about Magnolia being turned into a lacrima. Edolas Gajeel made sure to take everything down on his pad of paper scribbling away on his pencil making sure he got every little detail.

"Alright. So to summarize, you two were sent to this world by a gentlemen named Mr. Mystogan with the bare minimum of an explanation and nothing but the shirts on your backs?" asked Edolas Gajeel.

"Yup. Pretty much," I said.

"One thing's for sure, getting used to this place ain't no picnic," spoke Gajeel. "We practically know next to nothing which is why we're running around like chickens with our heads lopped off."

"This has to be the most intriguing yet at the same time bizarre story I've ever heard in my career," said Edolas Gajeel as he wrote on his pen pad again.

"Well, what did you expect? How often do you meet yourself at a bar?" asked Gajeel.

"Anyway, Edolas Gajeel... I mean Mr. Gajeel. We were told that you made quite a name for yourself as a freelance journalist," I said. "Is that true?"

"Indeed. My job is to investigate and write articles about the truth of events throughout the world," answered Edolas Gajeel. "Basically seeking out the truth and enlightening the masses. It's my life's true calling."

"Well one things for sure, the truth ain't an easy pill to swallow," smirked Gajeel cheekily. "Bet you got yourself a lot of haters."

Edolas Gajeel chuckled. "Now what would make you say that?" he asked aloofly.

"We happened to run into some people who they thought that the Gajeel I know was you," I explained. "But... this Gajeel here pounded them to the dirt in no time at all with... me being less than willing to rough them up."

"While I thank you for taking care of such annoyances for me, I really must apologize for the inconvenience and for having such trouble befall you," apologized Edolas Gajeel. "Truth be told, I've become a thorn to the side of many powerful organizations here. In fact, my articles have caused numerous problems for the king as well as the government over the years. However, I refuse to write articles based on lies. As long as I can put pen to pad, I will write the truth. No matter how much anyone threatens me or says otherwise."

I couldn't help but look at Edolas Gajeel feeling a slight bit of admiration for the guy. Even Gajeel looked impressed with his counterpart.

"You know, when we just first heard about this place, I thought that it'd be completely different from our world," spoke Gajeel. "But..."

The two Gajeels then stopped walking and looked at each other. At first, I didn't know what was going on, but then the two Gajeels put each others arms around their shoulders like they were brothers.

"You and I are almost exactly alike!" the two said happily.

"You not only don't take crap and fight the man, but you dress good and write fancy words like I'd do. Well, if I cared that is," laughed Gajeel.

"And your unkempt wildness and cool side is reflective of my soul," agreed Edolas Gajeel. "We have so much in common Mr. Me. And... incidentally, I'm exceptionally skilled when it comes to singing, playing instruments."

Gajeel's eyes widened with wonder. "No way! Me too! You're really are my Edolas self!"

"We're like a musical genius!" the two of them said as they bumped their fists together.

I couldn't help, but smile a little at this weird but somewhat touching scene. But this wasn't the time for something like this.

"Excuse me you two," I said. "I hate to break this up, but we're getting a little bit off track here." I then turned to Edolas Gajeel. "Mr. Gajeel. Me and Gajeel need a come up with some kind of plan to get to the Royal City and to save our friends. Our time window is getting limited, so we should probably come up with a plan if we plan to save Maganolia and it's people before they get converted into magic power."

"I'm well aware of that," spoke the Edolas Gajeel. "If fact, I think I may have an idea as to how you two can get to Royal City and save your friends."

"I also got some ideas too," said Gajeel. "What do you say we combine our ideas and make a plan Edolas me?"

"Sounds good," smiled Edolas Gajeel. "Now then, listen closely you two. Here's what we'll do..."

Gajeel and I leaned in close and listened to the plan. It was good plan, cunningly contrived but somewhat dangerous. It could only work if each one of us played our part. The odds were also against us and the stakes were high, but now this wasn't the time to worry about those things. When we finished discussing the plan, I couldn't help but be amazed yet somewhat worried about what the two Gajeel's had in mind.

"Do you guys really think that will work?" I asked. "I mean... it's a bit risky."

"Sometimes you gotta take some risks to get the job done," smirked Gajeel. "Besides, I'm really digging this plan. As expected of Edolas me."

"Thanks Mr. Me," smiled Edolas Gajeel. "But if you two plan to get to the Royal City, you better get going."

"But how? It'll probably take us days to get there on foot," I said. "Not to mention I can't carry Gajeel over there using my wings."

"Don't worry. I know just the mode of transportation to get you there," spoke Edolas Gajeel. "Follow me."

Edolas Gajeel then led us to a different area of Sycca, just around a corner. There around that corner as a group of soldiers. They all wore silver helmets that were silver and covered most of their faces and wore blue outfits with turn tail coats carrying spears and were all standing guard by a large and spacious area. At first, I didn't really see anything, but then there was a giant gust of wind. We looked up above us and there floating down towards us, was a large drop ship. It was huge, blue and white in color and had a pair of exhausts on its wings. As it touched down on the ground, a lot more soldiers gathered as the drop ship's door opened.

"So, I take it we're going to be taking that drop ship?" I asked Edolas Gajeel.

"Indeed. If you went there by foot, there would be no chance of you getting to the Royal City in time," said Edolas Gajeel. "However, if you take the drop ship, you'll be able to get to the city in no time at all."

"Sounds like a plan to me," smirked Gajeel. "It is our best chance of getting there quick. We're sneaking aboard."

"Normally, I'd try to talk you out of it," I spoke. "But there's no helping it this time. I'll have to rocket us on top of the airship, so they can't see us."

"Forget that. If we did that, we'll most likely be seen by the guards," said Gajeel. "I've got something else in mind." He then looked back towards the Edolas Gajeel. "Some of our friends should be here too," he said. "No doubt they'll stir up trouble around here sooner or later. And when they do..."

"Yes. I'll let you two know the moment they strike," finished Edolas Gajeel. "And don't worry about the king catching you two. I've got contacts everywhere, so he won't be able to scratch his nose without me knowing about it. Keeping tabs on him as well as his subjects and everything else that happens will be easy."

"Good. Until then, me and Gajeel will lie low until you give the word, Mr. Gajeel," I said. "We're counting on you."

"Well, I guess I'll be seeing you both later," said Edolas Gajeel tipping his hat. "Take care you two."

"Same to you," replied Gajeel. "And don't keep us waiting."

And with that, the three of us separated. Edolas Gajeel going down one way and me and Gajeel going another way towards the drop ship.

* * *

 **NO POV**

Back in the forest where Gajeel and Willy were originally found, Kuromen along with a squad soldiers were patrolling the forest searching for any signs of Fairy Tail. So far, no one had found anything.

"Man. We can't seem to find anything around here," said one. "Is Kuruomen sure that Fairy Tail is somewhere in this forest?"

"Don't doubt Kuromen!" spoke another soldier in a hushed whisper. "If he heard you say that, he'll slice you in half! You know how he is!"

"OK! OK! Geez! I'm just getting a bit tired walking around," said the first. "It's nothing but a waste of time."

"What is nothing but a waste of time?" asked a low metallic voice from behind them.

The two guards faces then paled behind their masks and nervously looked up. There behind them was Kuromen who seemed to loomed above them. The two immediately let out a scream of fright and jumped back away from him.

"K-Kuromen sir!" they yelped. "We weren't saying anything sir!"

"Then get back to searching," Kuromen said gruffly. "If you have time to prattle on, then you have time to search. Keep looking around for any disturbances. If you keep dawdling around, I see to it that you meet the end of my blade. Are we clear?"

"Y-yes Kuromen sir!" the two soldiers squeaked as they raced away into the bushes.

Kuromen then resumed his search trying to find any signs of life in the forest. Then another soldier came running up to Kuromen.

"L-lord Kuromen sir!" he spoke while he saluted. "We may have found something that you should see sir."

"Is that so? Lead on then," spoke Kuromen.

The soldier then led Kuromen to to a certain fallen tree where some other soldiers were inspecting it.

"What the heck could have caused this?" wondered one soldier.

"It looks something cut this tree down," said another. "But what could have had that kind of strength? It's a pretty thick tree. Not even a magic item could cut a tree this size."

Kuromen then came up to the tree. He looked at the deep cut and felt it with his hand feeling the clean cut. "How very unusual," he thought. "This isn't a normal cut. It's like someone used some kind of sword to cut this tree. But what could have had the strength to cut a tree like this? A wizard from Fairy Tail perhaps?"

Just then, a soldier came running up to Kuromen. "Sir Kuromen! I have urgent news from the king back at the Royal City!"

"What is it?" asked Kuromen.

"I've just received word that all the captains are to return to the Royal City," explained the soldier. "The king is planning to have magic power drawn from the lacrima two days from now and is requesting for additional security detail. You are to return to the palace and await further orders from the king."

"Understood. I'll leave right away," spoke Kuromen. "All soldiers, return to the drop ship."

"Yes sir!"

The soldiers one by head marched away heading back to the drop ship. Kuromen followed them, but not before taking one last look at the cut down tree. Then he joined his troops leaving the fallen tree behind him.

* * *

 _If you liked what you read, feel free to leave me a follow, review, or a fav!_

 _If you have any questions, pointers, feel free to PM me!_

 _Dragoman out!_


	73. Chapter 73 The Royal City

Chapter 73

The Royal City

The drop ship flew high into the air using its exhausts to fly in fast pace. Inside of the ship, the soldiers were waiting for the drop ship to reach its destination hoping that it would be soon. As they waited, the soldiers conversed hoping that time would go faster.

"Man... I can't wait till we get to the Royal City," said one. "I was getting a little tired patrolling Sycca."

"Be you're going to the Royal City at all," said another. "The only reason why we're being sent there in the first place is that the king needs more security over there."

"I know, I know," said the first. "I'm just happy is all."

Then the first soldier noticed two soldiers in particular. They seemed to be like the rest of them, but one of them seemed to be a bit like the others and the other was a bit muscular. Feeling a bit curious, the soldier spoke to the two.

"Hey. Are you two new recruits or something?" he asked. "I don't remember seeing you guys before."

"Oh yes. We are," said the first of the two. "We were just recruited by the king a couple days back. He... saw potential in us and he wanted us to come to the Royal City, so we could see how the soldiers work there first hand."

"That's strange... I don't recall the king ever mentioning something like that," spoke the soldier. "Are you sure he said something like that?"

"Of course he did," spoke the muscular soldier gruffly. "You calling us liars?"

He then glared at the soldier flashing his eyes dangerously. The soldier cringed a little feeling a bit intimidated, but then the muscular soldier's partner nudged him with his elbow.

"Hey back off," he spoke to him. Then he turned to the soldier. "Sorry about my friend," he apologized. "He's... not exactly a people person and doesn't like to be insulted much. Just be careful what you say to him."

The first soldier raised a brow. "Alright then. Just watch your attitude. Especially since you're going to the Royal City," he said. "With an attitude like that, there's gonna be some people who aren't gonna like it. Especially the captains. Captain Kuromen or Captain Knightwalker would probably kill ya."

"Knightwalker? Kuromen? Who are those guys?" asked the first soldier of the two. "Besides being captains and stuff."

"You don't know? You two really are rookies," said another. "They're the captains of the Royal Army Magic War Divisions. Five in total. They're in charge of each other their own army which is divided into groups. The first captain is Pantherlily, the second is Erza Knightwalker who we call as Knightwalker, the third is Hughes, the fourth is Sugarboy, and the fifth is known as Kuromen the Black Swordsman."

"Who the hell is Kuromen?" asked the muscular soldier. "Sounds like a weird name."

"The name may sound weird, but it's a name that everyone fears," said a third soldier. "Aside from the other captains, Kuromen is one of the most strongest warriors in all of Edolas. He's feared by everybody. Even Erza and Pantherlily are somewhat scared of him."

"Interesting," spoke the muscular soldier grinning from behind his mask. "Tell us more about this Kuromen guy."

"Well, they say that he's so strong, that he was responsible for wiping out most of the magic guilds," explained the first soldier. "Those guilds threw whatever they had at him, magic tools and everything, but Kuromen came out on top almost completely unscathed."

"Not only that, but I heard that once, he took on Knightwalker in a fight," said another. "It was a pretty tough battle and Knightwalker won, but it was a pretty close one."

"Interesting," said the muscular soldier. "This Kuromen guy sounds quite the interesting guy. Maybe I should fight him and see how strong this guy is."

The other soldiers that happened to hear the muscular soldier all stared at him in shock and some slight horror. No doubt they all thought that this man was out of his mind trying to pick a fight with Kuromen. The first soldier of the pair then gave the muscular one soldier a hard nudge on his side.

"Hey! Keep it quiet, you idiot!" he snapped. Then he turned to the others. "Please excuse him. He's... high spirited. He gets so excited about stuff that he has no idea what he's talking about sometimes! Please ignore what he said!"

The soldiers looked at each other feeling a bit unsure of what the two rookies were saying, but they decided to let it slide. Then they all felt the drop shop dipping down towards the ground getting lower and lower until it touched down on the ground with a thud. The doors then opened and all the soldiers departed from the drop ship having to have finally landed in the royal city. However unknown to the actual soldiers, the thin and the muscular soldiers that claimed to be rookies, stealthily left the soldiers getting as far from them as possible.

As soon as they were far enough away from them, the two soldiers immediately took off their helmets...

* * *

 **WILLY'S POV**

"Whew! Man! Those helmets were stuffy as hell!" complained Gajeel.

"Aside with that, it seems your idea worked Gajeel," I said. "Even though we kinda had to be a bit rough with some of the guards and the fact that you almost gave us away when you said that you wanted to fight this Kuromen guy!"

"Oh quit your whining. The disguises worked didn't they?" shrugged Gajeel. "Those guards didn't suspect a damn thing."

In case you were wondering how this came about, let me explain. Long story short, we needed to get a way to get on the airship without being seen and Gajeel of all people found a way. He came up with the idea of taking two of the soldiers' outfits and then disguising ourselves as part of the army. Course we had to knock out a couple soldiers in the process, but we managed to get to the Royal City without anyone suspecting a thing.

Soon enough, we were back in our normal clothes with our cloaks hiding our faces discarded the soldiers' clothes. Then we came out of the alley and walked around.

The city itself was completely different than Louen and Sycca put together. The streets themselves were lined with holographic lights and the people that walked around had nicer clothes compared to what we've seen in Louen and Sycca. Children were playing with their toys having fun and even the adults were smiling and merrily laughing enjoying their days. To say that this was somewhat strange was an understatement.

"What the heck... Everyone looks so happy," I spoke quietly. "You would think that it'd be run down just like the Louen and Sycca, but it looks just like an amusement park."

"Not to mention that we were able to get into this place so easily," said Gajeel. "I mean there wasn't a single guard that noticed us. And I'm willing to bet that this place is so festive is so that this king or whatever is trying win over the crowd oblivious to the fact that they're stealing magic power from other worlds. And it's working."

We continued to walk around hoping to see anything that could give us a clue, then I took notice of a person running past us seeming to be running towards a large crowd. The people in that crowd were cheering and looking as happy as could be. Feeling a bit curious, I walked on over to see what they were cheering about.

Then I stopped freezing dead in my tracks finally taking notice as to what the crowd was cheering about.

There in front of the crowd was a giant, big as a building lacrima. It was standing right in the middle of the square with a ring of guards standing around it making sure that no one would touch it.

It didn't a fool to know where that giant lacrima came from, but I couldn't believe it. "It... it can't be..." I murmured. "It's... it's..."

"Looks like we hit the jackpot," spoke Gajeel to seemed to be more calm than shocked. "It's a giant lacrima. Which means it's gotta be the one our friends are inside in. And if you look a bit closer, it seems that a part of it has been chunked off. There must more of it around somewhere."

I didn't really pay much attention to what Gajeel said completely transfixed on the lacrima. That was it. This was the lacrima that all of our friends were inside in. Everyone. Our master, Makarov, Macao, Wabaka, Erza, Gray, and most especially to me, Mira and Elfman. I then started walking into the crowd trying to get closer to the lacrima. The crowd continued to cheer loudly ringing in my ears, but that noise seemed to tune out as I continued to stare at the lacrima.

* * *

 **NO POV**

As Willy began walking towards the lacrima, Gajeel took notice and went after him.

"Hey kid! Get back here!" he said. "What the heck are you doing?!"

Willy didn't respond. He just continued to walk towards the crowd. Having no other way to reach him, Gajeel followed.

Then from a balcony just in front of the lacrima, a lone person appeared just on top of it. The person was an old man with long silver hair and a beard to match and wore fine tailored, brown robes of sorts and a hat on his head bearing a symbol. It didn't take a fool to realize based on what he was wearing, he was no doubt the king of Edolas that we've heard about.

The moment the crowd saw this man, they cheered even louder than before elated for seeing him. The king then tapped his staff on podium he stood on and then the crowd quieted down in a matter of seconds. Then the king spoke, his voice echoing through the crowd.

"My children of Edolas! It brings me great joy to my heart when I say, that our Anima program was a success!" he boomed. "And it has produced enough magic power to last us for another decade! Let us rejoice together! Let us sing and dance! Let laughter roar throughout our sacred kingdom!"

The crowd let out a roar of cheers in response as Gajeel scoffed under his breath.

"Nothing, but a sack of crap," he muttered. "He simply broke into our world and stole from us. Plain and simple."

"The power within this lacrima belongs to all our loyal subjects of our fair homeland as they deserve!" continued the king. "Today we hold our future in our hands to ensure its prosperity into tomorrow and beyond! Therefore we must swear to protect this gift from heaven with our very lives and let is no one else take this magic power from our kingdom!"

The crowd let out a chorus of cheers once again as the king caused dramatically.

"My dear children of Edolas, today I shall take a most solemn vow for you as your benevolent ruler!" he went on. Then he using his staff, he pierced it right on the smooth surface of the lacrima behind him causing cracks from the indent. "I will bring you all more power! More power than you could possibly imagine!"he

He then pulled out his staff and raised high and proud as the crowd cheered once more, chanting Edolas. The indent were the king had stabbed it, had caused the cracks to grow bigger slightly and some pieces of it also fell from them falling until they hit the ground shattering like glass.

Gajeel couldn't be any more disgusted. "I can't believe this. They fell for it hook, line, and sinker," he said. "How can a bunch of people seriously get excited from a bunch of empty words."

"He'll pay... That monster is gonna pay for this..."

Gajeel heard a low and threatening voice causing him to turn his attention of where the voice came from. The voice came from Willy who had his hands balled up into fists and were also trembling slightly. Then Gajeel noticed something else that made even him a bit surprised. Willy's hands were cloaked with water from his magic, but they were blue with a slight tinge of black. Willy then began to walk forward his face etched with rage.

* * *

 **WILLY'S POV**

To say that I was angry was an understatement. I felt so overwhelmed with rage, I wanted to fly up and knock that old man off of his pedestal with an Iron Fist. Before I realized it, I was walking forward making my into the crowd ready to kill, but then I felt a hand grab my wrist making me stop. I snapped my head around ready to clock whoever was trying to stop me when my eyes met Gajeel's who turned out to be the person who grabbed me.

"Take it easy kid," he said. "This isn't the time."

"But... all our friends are in there!" I growled. "We've got to get them out of there!"

"I know, but if you really want to make this guy pay, then you need calm down," said Gajeel. "We'll get our chance to get that poser of a king. Just not right now."

I then looked back towards the king who had his lips open with laughter. My blood with was still boiling with anger, but with a deep breath I calmed down and I unclenched my fists which were shaking from the adrenaline. As much as I hated it, Gajeel was right. There was sense in dealing with the king at least right now.

"OK. I'm alright now, Gajeel," I spoke quietly. "You can let go of me now."

Gajeel did so. "Let's get out of here," he said. "Before you and I both get any more dark ideas."

* * *

The two of us eventually managed to find a hotel to crash. It was now evening with the sun setting over the horizon giving the sky a beautiful yellow-orange glow. But I wasn't exactly enthralled by the sunset due to the events that transpired earlier today. The room was completely silent with the only sound being running water which was Gajeel taking a shower.

"Geez. This sucks!" I thought to myself. "All I could do was just stand there and watch while that lousy old man do that to the lacrima! I wish there was something I could do! Damn it..."

Then I heard the sound of the water stop and then the door opened. Gajeel then stepped out of the bathroom looking refreshed.

"Man. Nothing beats a good shower," he said. "Hey Water Boy. It's your turn in you want to take a shower."

"No thanks. I'm fine," I spoke not really paying attention to him.

"Suit yourself," shrugged Gajeel as he got dressed. "You know that you're not gonna get anywhere by sulking you know."

"Well, can you really blame me?!" I snapped looking back at him glaring. "We just practically saw our friends right in front of us while the king practically paraded them right in front of our faces! And all we could do was do nothing! I say we storm the castle and wipe that smug look off the king's face!"

"Like I said, we'll get our chance. We just can't go around fighting willy nilly," spoke Gajeel.

"Says the guy who was going around punching people the first chance he gets!" I spoke angrily. "I mean you practically just go and do your own thing without any regard for anyone!"

Gajeel glared back at me scowling. "Look. I did what I had to do to get us this far," he said. "And just because I'm a guy that likes to beat people up, doesn't mean that I'm a mindless idiot. There's a time and a place to bust some heads and those were times that we needed to. But I probably don't expect you to understand considering that you'd probably turn tail and run like you did back at the bar."

This made my eyes widen and I stared hard at Gajeel my hands tightening into fists. "What do you mean by that?" I asked in a threatening tone.

"Don't play dumb. I saw you back there when you just let those guys walk all over you like that," spoke Gajeel. "I would've beat all of their asses for dissing me. Hell, I bet even Salamander would have too."

"Well, I'm not like you or Natsu!" I yelled. "Maybe I want to try to talk things out and ignore the people who keep picking a fight instead of hurting people! "

"That kind of thinking is gonna set you up for people to walk all over you," Gajeel barked. "Being nice or ignoring people isn't gonna stop those who pick on you." He then looked into my eyes with a serious look on his face. "Look, I get it. You were in a dark guild and you were told that you did some bad crap without you knowing and now you don't wanna hurt anyone more than you have to. But you gotta understand that there will be some battles you can't run away from. Especially if it's an enemy or someone who makes fun of your guild or threatens to hurt your loved ones. If you're a real dragon slayer and a Fairy Tail wizard, you should have at least some sense of pride. If you don't, then that makes you nothing short of a coward."

I clenched my fists again glaring dangerously at Gajeel not really being able to say another word to counter him. Then I turned around and headed towards the door.

"Where you going?" asked Gajeel gruffly.

"To cool off," I spoke coldly as I slammed the door behind me.

* * *

I power walked as far as I could as possible from the hotel. I was once again very angry, but mostly at Gajeel.

"Who does that guy think he is?!" I muttered angrily. "I'm acting like a coward? He doesn't know a damn thing about me! I mean come on! All of a sudden, I want to go off and bash some heads and then he tells me that I can't even though he's been doing it more than me?! Damn it!"

My voiced echoed as I cursed angrily. I immediately covered my mouth realizing where I was.

"Man... I need to calm down... All of this is just gonna get me more angry and possibly get caught by the royal army soldiers. Maybe I should leave town for a bit."

I then spread my wings and took off flying into the air staying above the city, so no one would see me. As I flew, I happened to look down on the now silent town. Everyone seemed so peaceful now that they were fast asleep. However, it made me all the more angry. How could they be at peace at this unaware of what the king had done? I feeling my anger flare up again, I just kept on flying.

I flew above the city until I was above a forest that was just next to it. I soon touched down on the ground inside forest. The forest was quiet and the only sound I could hear was some sort of crickets chirping. I then walked around trying to get immersed into the nature, but I still felt a little upset. Feeling like taking out my anger on something, I punched a tree as hard as I could. The tree jolted just a little bit and I heard some birds fly away. However, I felt my body shake from the punch and I felt my fist throb with pain. I let out a hiss of pain as I held my fist in agony.

"Ow...! That wasn't a good idea," I complained.

"I'd say it wasn't," said a voice. "That's what you get for punching a tree like that."

I immediately jumped turning around feeling a bit startled. Standing before me was a person. The person was a young boy no older than I was with some toned muscle on his arms, that wore a white sleeveless kimono with blue edges that had black triangles with a black hakama with brown sandals. The stranger also had long black hair that went to the hips with some bands hiding his face.

I immediately stood up instinctively putting up my fists, but the boy smiled kindly at me.

"Please. I mean you no harm," the boy spoke. "If I wanted to attack you, I would have done so already."

I slowly lowered my fists as I observed the boy. He didn't seem to be holding any weapons nor could I feel that he had magic power.

"I apologize about that," I spoke. "You just startled me is all. What... are you doing here?"

"I was just out for a nightly stroll," said the boy. "I felt a little tense, so I figured I'd take a walk by myself. Would you care to join me?"

I raised a brow at the boy. "You want to have a walk with me? A total stranger?"

"But of course," the boy chuckled. "After all, some walking could do you some good. You do look a bit tense. Besides, I don't mind if I walk with a strangers. It makes it that much more enjoyable and it'll help ease any stress. You'll like it."

I still was feeling a bit doubtful, but I figured it would be a good way to ease my anger. So I agreed.

The two of us then walked around the forest into the misty night. As we walked along, the boy let out a soft hum as he gazed around.

"The world just seems so different during the night," he spoke. "It's so beautiful and peaceful. Don't you think?"

"Yeah. I suppose it is," I agreed doubtfully.

"So... tell me. Why were you taking out your anger on that tree?" asked the boy. "Were you feeling upset with something?"

I looked at the boy a bit surprised by his question. I opened my mouth about to say something, but then I hesitated. I didn't really think it was a good idea to tell this boy about what was going on regarding the lacrima, but at this point I wanted to ease my anger a bit, so I decided to talk but leaving out some details.

"Well... I really can't say much at the moment," I spoke choosing my words carefully. "But it has to do with a certain guy that I've been hanging around with. He said some things that made me feel a bit mad. Mostly me having to be a coward just because I'd prefer to walk away from a fight. I mean... there are some fights not worth for. Especially for no reason right?"

"Well... it would have to depend on the situation," said the boy. "If it was a pointless fight over something trivial, then it would pointless. However in some other cases, it'd be a different story."

"What do you mean by that?" I asked.

"Well... take me for example," said the boy. "I for one am not too thrilled about fighting, however there are two things that I fight for with all of my heart. Those things are someone that I care for and most of all, for pride."

"Pride? Isn't that... kind of pointless?" I asked. "I mean I get fighting for someone that I care about, but... why would you need to fight for your pride?"

The boy then stopped walking and looked up towards the night sky seeming to be deep in thought. After a long pause, he spoke once more.

"Because my pride is something that I care about more than anything else in the world," he said. "I used to be someone who didn't really think much of myself. I would put my self down all the time and I would have very low self confidence. But someone came up to me and saw potential in me and told me that I should take pride in myself and what I can do. Ever since then, I've strove to be the best I could be and I now have pride in myself as well as my abilities. So what I mean to say is, while you can become strong by protecting someone, it's also important to become strong by having a sense of pride. Especially for yourself. If you don't, then people will probably look down on you and you'll be an easy target."

I stared at the young boy. I felt a bit moved from hearing his story and at the same time, I remembered what Gajeel had told me before I left. Now that I thought about it, he pretty much said the exact same thing, but I was too angry to understand him at the time. This made my previous feelings dissipate and I couldn't help but feel bad for yelling at him a while back.

"I... I think I understand now," I said. "It makes me feel kinda bad for yelling at him."

"There's no need to feel bad," said the boy. "But you should apologize to the man you were arguing with just so that they're no hard feelings."

"I will," I replied nodding. "Thank you very much. I guess you were right. Walking kinda does make you feel better and it was pretty enjoyable and... you're pretty insightful for a boy your age."

"Anytime," smiled the boy. "I'm glad that I was able to help you. Now if you'll excuse me, I must be on my way. There's more of this night I need to enjoy. I hope you make up with your friend."

The boy then turned on his heel and seemed like he was about to walk away, but just before he did, he turned around and looked at me.

"I have feeling that you'll become a strong person," he said. "When a person has a balance of pride and the will to protect someone precious to them, that is when a person can truly become strong."

I was a bit surprised from being blindsided by the compliment, but I smiled. "Thanks."

The boy then turned towards the road in front of him. "I hope we meet again some time," he spoke. "Till then... farewell."

And with that, the boy walked away leaving me staring at his back. Then he halted and I heard him speak again.

"Oh. And one more thing," he said. "I'm not a boy. I'm a girl."

And then the stranger walked away disappearing into the night. After a few seconds of a delayed reaction, I gawked at the place where I saw the stranger disappear to my eyes wide with surprise.

"No way! He was a she?!" I exclaimed in my thoughts. "She looked so boyish though!"

* * *

Eventually, I made my way back to the Royal City flying towards the hotel where me and Gajeel were staying at. As I saw the hotel in sight, I saw a someone walking around below me. At first, I really couldn't tell who it was and I thought it was a civilian, so I was going to hide, but as flew closer, I saw that it was a certain Iron Dragon Slayer. So I swooped down towards him until I landed in front of him on the ground.

As soon as did, Gajeel jumped a bit in surprise, but upon seeing that it was me, he scowled. "What the hell?! You almost gave me a freaking heart attack!" he whisper yelled. "The hell is your deal?!"

"Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you," I apologized. "What are you doing out here exactly? Don't tell me you were worried about little old me?"

"So what if I was?" asked Gajeel huffily looking away. "You got a problem with that?"

"No. No I don't," I chuckled. "Anyway, I wanted to apologize to you Gajeel. You were right and... I may have gotten a bit angry."

"I'll say you did," said Gajeel. "I mean you totally blew up for no reason at all."

Now it was my turn to scowl. "You know, you could say; 'No problem, Willy. I accept your apology' you know."

"I'm not exactly the kind of guy for saying stuff like that," scoffed Gajeel. Then his face softened. "But... I will say that it was kinda my fault too. I mean... I kinda pissed you off back there. So... I guess... I'm... uh... I'm... s... s..."

I could see that Gajeel was trying his best to apologize to me, but he looked kinda silly doing it making me chuckle a little. I then held out my hand.

"It's OK. You don't have to say anything more," I said. "What do you say that I accept your apology and call it even? Deal?"

Gajeel looked at my hand and then at me. Then he flashed a toothy smile and grabbed me hand in earnest.

"Deal. Now then... what do you say we head back to our hotel and get some shut eye?" he spoke. "We got a long day ahead of us, ya know."

"Yeah. Let's." I agreed.

The two of us shook hands and then headed back to the hotel hoping to get as much rest as we can.

* * *

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	74. Chapter 74 Assualt on the Plaza

_Hey you guys! Here's another chapter for you!_

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* * *

Chapter 74

Assault at the Plaza

The fateful day had finally come. Today was the day that everyone in Edolas had been looking forward to. The day that the magic power will be extracted from the lacrima in the plaza and be given to the masses. The citizens who wanted to see the extraction happen all hung around the plaza feeling very excited. There were entertainers entertaining the masses, food stalls, and even some children were playing. Most of the other civilians stood on either side of the street eager for the ceremony to get underway.

However, there were some of those who weren't taking part in the festivities who instead had a job to do. The soldiers that served the king. They were among those who were making sure that things didn't get too out of hand and making sure that no one suspicious would come along and disrupt the peace. They were a couple groups that stood by the stalls watching the civilians, but most of the others were standing around the lacrima forming a perimeter and staying vigilant and on guard making sure that it was well protected and that no one, civilian or suspicious person, would come close to it.

As the soldiers did their duty, one of them took notice of someone. A certain journalist was standing by a pillar scribbling away on his pad of paper with his pen. The soldier who saw them then walked over to him along with a few other soldiers. The journalist then looked up having to have heard the soldiers coming to find that he was surrounded by those soldiers.

"What are you doing?" demanded the soldier. "And who are you?"

The journalist tipped his hat and then flashed a smile. "I'm just your average journalist," he said brightly. "Also, let me be the first to say, thank you for all of your hard work!"

The soldier raised a brow feeling a bit put off. "OK... anyway, you still haven't answered my question. What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I'm just covering the ceremony," replied the journalist. "It is a pretty big event after all. In fact, I would love to interview you and ask you a few questions. That is if you don't mind."

The guard scowled at the journalist. "I've got nothing to comment," he spoke gruffly. "Now beat it!"

"I also couldn't help but notice that the king has most of his troops stationed along the northern side of the plaza," continued the journalist as he readied his pen and paper. "So, therefore, is it safe to assume that there are soldiers stationed on the southern side of the plaza as well?"

There was a long silence as the soldiers were a little blindsided by the journalist's question. Then they immediately pointed their weapons at the journalist aiming dangerously at the journalist.

"Just the get out of here!" snapped the soldier. "Scram!"

The journalist then put his pen and pad away and walked away not wanting to be on the receiving end of the soldiers' weapons. "My apologies my dear gentlemen," he said. "I didn't mean to disturb you at work!"

And with a tip of his hat, the journalist walked away smirking to himself with glee. He then looked up searching on top of the towers that were close to the lacrima. Then on top of one the towers close by, he saw two cloaked figures looking down from above.

* * *

 **WILLY'S POV**

Gajeel and I looked down from the tower were standing on surveying the plaza below. There were lots of people surrounding the lacrima including the royal soldiers. The reason we were waiting was that Edolas Gajeel was gathering information on where the soldiers were, so we could go through with the plan without having any trouble.

"Damn it. Just our luck," grumped Gajeel. "There are too many people down there, so we can't rush in. If we do, then the crowd will get caught in the crossfire if the soldiers attack us. So what can we do?"

"I'm not really sure," I spoke. "We'll just have to wait for an opening to come. After all, Mr. Gajeel said that he'd let us know where to attack. Until then, we'll have to wait on him and hope that he'll get the info that we need. "

Then suddenly, the beating sound of drums could be heard and we saw a parade of sorts comprised of royal soldiers coming towards the plaza. They were similar to the soldiers we've seen, but they had drums and beating away to some kind of rhythm. Behind those drummers were people that wore long white cloaks with green sub cloaks on top and wore light blue cloth masks bearing the symbol of Edolas with strange gold crowns on top of their heads and also carried long wooden staffs with a blue metal top also bearing the symbol of Edolas. Behind and floating behind them a strange looking structure. It was big, clay, tower-like tank of sorts from the look of it, making me guess that it was the container where they were going to place the magic they planned to drain.

Seeing those soldiers, as well as the other men behind them, and the tank made us realize one thing, the ceremony was getting underway and there wasn't much time left. If they were able to succeed in extracting magic from the lacrima, it would all be over.

As we continued to survey the plaza, we then saw Edolas Gajeel who was walking around among the people in the ground. He looked up and as soon as he saw us, he winked and gave a tip of his hat letting us know to hang tight. Then he walked off heading for the southern side of the plaza.

* * *

 **NO POV**

As Edolas Gajeel made his way to the southern plaza, he got out his notepad and flipped through it. He then came to the page he was scribbling on and resumed writing with his pen. Eventually, he made his way to the southern plaza where the crowds of people were gathered around lining the streets with the royal soldiers standing in front making sure no civilian got in the way of the parade. Edolas Gajeel silently made his way past the people until he was close to the streets where the soldiers stood until he was close enough to one of them.

"Well, it seems that things are finally getting underway," he spoke casually to the soldier.

The soldier nodded absently in agreement. "Yes. Now the kingdom will be much more stable after this," the soldier said.

"This is the southern part of the plaza," continued Edolas Gajeel. "So if you don't mind me asking, is the security as tight on the eastern and western sides of the plaza as it is here?"

"No it isn't," replied the soldier shaking his head. "The reason being is because there isn't any need to. After all, there isn't enough room for any suspicious individuals to hide over at those sides."

"Oh really? Is that so?" spoke Edolas Gajeel. "How very interesting."

The soldier then turned finally realizing that he was speaking to a journalist and almost jumped out of his suit his eyes popping.

"Please don't write that in an article!" he begged hastily. "It'll get me in trouble!"

"Why I wouldn't do anything of the sort," said Edolas Gajeel innocently. "I can assure you, a journalist like me is very much aware of what's appropriate to write in my articles and what isn't. After all, I do strive to be a fair journalist after all."

"Uhh... yeah. Sure," said the soldier doubtfully.

Then Edolas Gajeel left the streets gently pushing his way past the people in the crowd just as the parade of soldiers and men with cloaks grew closer and closer to the lacrima. He then took out his notebook and flipped to a particular page. It was a diagram of the plaza of which he had been drawing based on the information he had been gathering.

"There are troops stationed on the north and southern sides of the plaza and only those sides," he thought to himself. "However, the north of the south side of the plaza is undermanned and according to my sources, the ceremony will be taking place on the south side of the lacrima. That is where those two should make their attack."

* * *

 **WILLY'S POV**

Gajeel and I were still waiting for Edolas Gajeel to signal us. So far, we haven't been able to hear from him and I was starting to get a little antsy and the parade was now directly in front of the lacrima. Then suddenly, I saw Edolas Gajeel tipping his hat to us. He then turned around and pointed in the direction of the lacrima. He repeatedly pointed towards the direction he was pointing, then he walked away disappearing into the crowd. We both looked at each other and the two of us knew just what to do.

"So we're heading to the southern part of the plaza then," I spoke. "Looks like the time is now, Gajeel."

"Yeah. I know," spoke Gajeel flashing a dangerous and gleeful smile. "Well then, looks like we'd better get going. You ready to do this, water boy?"

"Of course I am," I replied. "And would it kill you not to call me that?"

The two of us then jumped off the tower we were standing on diving towards the ground below. Just before we hit the ground though, I grabbed a hold of Gajeel and spread my water wings. Thanks to the wings, we were able to glide towards the ground silently and undetected. We then made our way into the crowd gently pushing past the citizens and heading towards lacrima.

As we did, the parade had arrived in front of the lacrima and the soldiers that wore cloth masks stood in front of the lacrima while the drummers continued to drum away. The soldier's cloth masks then took aim pointing their staffs at the lacrima as they metal part of their staffs began to glow in a bright blue color. The lacrima also started to glow and the crowd began to cheer wildly meaning that the ceremony had started and they were starting to drain the lacrima.

"Oh no! They're started Gajeel!" I whispered urgently. "We gotta hurry and stop them!"

"I know! I know!" Gajeel whispered. "But we can't do anything! This place is so crowded here, we can hardly move!" **  
**

* * *

 **NO POV**

Edolas Gajeel carefully made his way into the crowd making sure that he was close enough to the lacrima and where Willy and Gajeel were. Then he dug into his coat pulling out several strange looking cylindrical tubes. A man who was watching the ceremony happened to notice Gajeel pull them out and couldn't help, but feel a little curious.

"Hey. What are those things?" he asked.

"Oh, these? They're fireworks," spoke Edolas Gajeel smiling. "These little babies are just a little way for celebrating the magic power extraction ceremony."

"Fireworks, huh? That's cool!" said the man excitedly.

"Just wait," smirked Edolas Gajeel. "They're even cooler once they get started! Check it out!"

He then aimed one of the tubes up towards the air and a beam of light shot forth from the tube.

"I hope this reaches you, my friends," he thought. "With that, I'll leave the rest up to you two."

* * *

 **WILLY'S POV**

Gajeel and I were still stuck in the crowd not sure what to do, but then suddenly we heard a loud bang. We looked up and we saw explosions of lights flashing about in the air.

"Whoa! Those are fireworks!" cried a woman.

"I hope they shoot some more!" said a man. "Now it's starting to feel like a party!"

"What the...! No one mentioned anything about fireworks!" a soldier said with shock.

Gajeel and I were surprised to see the fireworks too, but we saw something even more surprising. The fireworks that were going off began to form letters. Five of them in total.

 **N_O_R_T_H  
**

"Gajeel, you see that? That's gotta be Mr. Gajeel!" I said.

"Yeah. The north, huh?" murmured Gajeel. He then spoke loud enough for the soldiers to hear him. "Soldiers! That must be some kind of warning! North must mean the north end of the plaza!"

"There must be someone suspicious over at that end of the lacrima!" I joined in. "We must go over to there and protect the lacrima at all costs!"

"They're right! We have to do something!" cried a soldier urgently. "That's all the way on the rear side of the lacrima!"

"You're right!" spoke another soldier. "There's not a lot of men positioned over at the south side!"

"Keep your men positioned over here while I take the others to the north!" the first soldier said. "One of third of you guys here will be more than enough to defend this side while we're gone."

The first soldier along with a large group of others then rushed away leaving the second soldier and the one-third of others left at the plaza.

"Push back the crowd for their safety!" commanded the second soldier. "We don't want anyone getting hurt!"

"Yes, sir!" acknowledged another soldier. Then he turned towards us as well as the people. "You heard the man! Everyone, please move back!"

The citizens did as they were told and moved away from the soldiers. Everyone that was except for me and Gajeel. This was what the two of us wanted. Now that there were no people to get in the way and that there were fewer soldiers, now was the perfect time to attack.

"All right then. It's about time for us to make our move," smirked Gajeel. "Now we can go all out."

"Right," I said. "Let's do this."

Then a soldier came walking up to us. "Hey! You two! What do you two think you're doing?" he said. "He said to move back!"

The two of us ignored the soldier and then ripped off our cloaks revealing our normal clothing attire. The two of us then charged straight at the soldiers.

"Gajeel? Are you sure that this is going to work?" I called out.

"We've got no choice!" Gajeel called back. "That Mystogan guy may be a suspicious and creepy looking weirdo, but we got no choice but to trust him and what he said for right now."

Gajeel's arm then transformed into a giant steel club as he attacked a group of soldiers.

"IRON DRAGON CLUB!" he yelled as he bashed his club into the soldiers sending them flying.

Some of the soldiers gunned straight for Gajeel aiming at him with their spears, but I quickly jumped up and slammed my hands to the ground.

"WATER DRAGON GEYSER WALL!"

The ground rumbled beneath the soldiers and then, a giant burst of wall gushed forth sending the soldiers flying into the air. Now that the soldiers were clear, Gajeel and I then jumped into the air and attacked the lacrima. Gajeel's arm now transformed into a long, jagged, and spiked steel blade while I conjured a large pair of water stars.

"IRON DRAGON SWORD!"

"WATER DRAGON DOUBLE STAR!"

Gajeel swung his sword and piercing it directly at the lacrima while I threw my water stars. His sword dug deep into the lacrima making a giant crack while my stars pierced the lacrima as well causing huge punctures with cracks to form. The lacrima bucked, but it didn't break or fall apart. However, one more attack would finish the job.

"One more time, Gajeel!" I yelled. "It's about to give!"

"Oh yeah! Ain't no stopping us!" responded Gajeel. "We're just getting started!"

Gajeel then pulled out his Iron Dragon Sword and brought it back before swinging with all of his might while I conjured two more water stars and threw them with a great force. Gajeel's iron sword slammed right into the lacrima while my water stars hit and punctured it once again digging deeper into the lacrima's surface.

The onlooking crowd, as well as the stunned soldiers, stared in shock and horror what we just did as we landed on the ground. The lacrima cracked and it seemed that it was about to crumble, but then it suddenly began to glow in a bright white light causing everyone to shield their eyes. Gajeel and I had to shield our eyes too.

"What the heck is going on here?!" exclaimed Gajeel.

"I don't know!" I cried.

The white light from the lacrima continued for a few seconds then the light began to dim. When I was finally able to see, my eyes widened in shock. The lacrima that was remotely huge was beginning to shrink. It grew smaller and smaller until it almost next to nothing. Not only that, but the lacrima then split in two and then the two pieces reformed into two unconscious. One was a young man that was half-naked with a pair of pants and shoes with familiar spiky black hair and the other was a young woman who wore familiar armor on her upper chest with a blue skirt and metal boots and also had long crimson red hair that was also familiar. The two unconscious bodies then slowly stood up like they were puppets on strings. I immediately recognized the bodies immediately as did Gajeel.

"No way! It's Erza and Gray!" I gasped.

"You gotta be kidding me..." said Gajeel. "That lacrima was only just the two of them?!" He then snapped out of being stupefied and then called out to them. "Hey! You guys are free now, so look alive and get up!"

"Yeah! Come on Erza and Gray!" I yelled. "You both gotta snap out of it!"

Erza and Gray remained motionless for a moment, but then the two of them opened their eyes as if they woke up from a long dream. The two of them looked around now realizing where they were and they felt very confused.

"What the... where are we?" wondered Gray. "What's going on?"

Feeling overjoyed, I immediately ran over to them and tackled them in a hug feeling a bit of tears forming in my eyes. "Erza! Gray! Thank goodness you're both OK!" I cried happily.

"Good thing you're both conscious," smiled Gajeel. "I was worried that they'd fried your brains."

"W-willy?! Gajeel?! Wh-what's going on?!" demanded Erza who looked more puzzled than before.

Just then, the royal soldiers began charging straight at us pointing their spears dangerously. Gray and Erza seeing them coming got ready to fight. Gray put his hands together attempting to use his magic, but nothing happened.

"My magic isn't working!" he cried.

"What?! What do you mean?!" asked Erza.

But before Gray could respond, a few of the soldiers swung their spears aiming for Gray and Erza, but I immediately jumped in front of them and conjured my twin water swords.

"WATER DRAGON DOUBLE BLADE!"

In a flurry of strikes from my swords, I slashed the soldiers that attacked cutting their spears and their tough armor. Erza and Gray were now even more puzzled.

"Wait a second! What's going on here?!" gawked Gray. "How come Willy is able to use his magic, but I can't?!"

"We'll explain everything later! Right now, we gotta make like a tree and scram!" said Gajeel. "Hey, Water Boy! Help me make an exit!"

"You got it, Gajeel!" I called back. "And stop calling me that! Can't you call me Willy for once?!"

The two of us then took a deep breath taking aim at the soldiers that ran towards us and then unleashed our breath attack spells together.

"IRON DRAGON..."

"WATER DRAGON..."

"ROAR!"

Gajeel unleashed a gray tornado of iron from his mouth while I unleashed a blue torrent of water from mine. The two attack blasted the guards that came at us sending them flying and screaming in agony. Thanks to the two attacks, we saw our opening and took off running away from the plaza as fast as we could.

* * *

Eventually, we were able to get away from the soldiers and were now hiding in an alley, so no one would find us.

"Alright you two, you both got some explaining to do!" said Gray sounding a bit peeved. "Firstly, how come you two were able to use magic?"

"Yes. And please tell us in every detail," Erza spoke sternly.

"Take it easy you guys," I said. "We'll explain in a second. Right now, we're waiting for someone to come and meet us. Once he gets here, we'll explain everything. In the meantime..." I then turned to the iron dragon slayer. "Hey Gajeel, you still have that vial of X-balls?"

Gajeel then dug into his pocket and then pulled out the very vial. "Got it right here," he said.

At that very moment, Edolas Gajeel appeared around the corner coming up to us.

"So there you are," smiled Gajeel. "You sure took your sweet time getting here."

"Sorry I'm a little late," he said tipping his hat. "I was busy watching the show and I gotta say, I'd expect nothing less from Earth Land me and Willy Falconer. You both rescued those two handily and efficiently. Just the kind of people that were right for this job."

"Well... it was your plan that worked Mr. Gajeel," I said smiling. "We wouldn't been able to pull it off without some of your help too."

I then happened to look at Erza and Gray who were both staring dumbly at Gajeel in shock.

"What the heck?! Am I seeing things?!" exclaimed Gray.

"I... I don't believe it! There are two Gajeels?!" cried Erza.

"I know it's a bit hard to believe, but it's true," I spoke. "Erza, Gray, I'd like you to meet Gajeel's Edolas counterpart, Edolas Gajeel."

"At your service," said Edolas Gajeel tipping his hat. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance. I would also like to add that while we may look alike, we're actually quite different."

"This guy's been a major help to us," said Gajeel patting his shoulder. "But it's still crazy how much he looks like me. It's like we're twins!"

"Never mind that!" barked Erza. "Just tell us what is going on here!"

Gajeel and Edolas Gajeel were a bit taken aback by Erza's response and I couldn't help but smile.

"It... seems she wasn't impressed," Gajeel said to his counterpart.

"I doubt any chicks'll be impressed by seeing two of your ugly mug," Gray chuckled.

The two Gajeels growled in embarrassment feeling a bit sheepish.

"Anyway, since Edolas Gajeel is here, we'll explain everything," I said. "Long story short, Magnolia was sucked up by a strange wormhole called an Anima and has been turned into a giant lacrima along with the people of Magnolia and the wizards from our guild. All of it was planned by the king of Edolas who wants all of the magic power Earth Land for himself."

"We assumed that the lacrima in the plaza was the entire guild since it was so enormous," added Edolas Gajeel. "But as it turns out, it was only the two of you."

"Then if that's true, how big is the main lacrima?" asked Gajeel. "I mean that lacrima in the plaza was freaking huge!"

"Now that you mention it, that lacrima did appear to have a jagged edge," said Edolas Gajeel. "So it must have been cut off of a larger one."

"Man... I've got so many questions, I don't know where to begin," spoke Gray. "First and foremost, what's that vial of pills? You're not gonna force them on us are you?"

"You're gonna have to if you want to use your magic, Gray," I said. "They're called X-balls. Apparently, they're special kinds of pills that will allow you to use your magic in Edolas here since it's a finite world of magic."

Gajeel then gave one pill to Erza and another to Gray. The two of them eyed them suspiciously.

"What do mean by "apparently"?" asked Erza. "Who gave them to you?"

"Mystogan did," replied Gajeel. "The guy was a bit weird and he sent us here before an explanation, but that's what he said."

Erza and Gray looked at each other and then swallowed their pills. Then Gray put his hands together and I could feel cold air escaping his palms as he created the Fairy Tail mark out of ice with his hands. Erza also made a sword appear in her hand.

"Well, it seems that we can use magic again," spoke Gray. "But now what do we do?"

"Well for starters, we must find the main lacrima at all costs," said Erza.

"But where is the lacrima?" I asked. "I mean we don't exactly have a clue as to where it is."

"I think I might have an idea," spoke Edolas Gajeel. "Considering that the king is a magic hungry man, I would think that we would want to keep the most of the magic power all to himself. Which means that the lacrima can only be in one place; the Royal Palace. If the main lacrima is anywhere close by, it's gotta be there."

"Then I'd say, we go over to that palace and take down the king and that lacrima!" grinned Gajeel. "Once we take down that lacrima, we'll be able to turn Magnolia back to normal by using me and Water Boy's magic."

"Then let's get going," spoke Erza. "I'm not sure how much time we have, but we must hurry."

"Then, follow me," spoke Edolas Gajeel. "I can lead you to the Royal Palace."

"Thank you Edolas Gajeel," I said. "You really have been a big help to us. Let's move!"

And then the five of us soon set off running through the streets heading towards the Royal Palace.

* * *

Soon enough, we managed to arrive at the Royal Palace which was a large castle that would you see in medieval times. After that, Edolas Gajeel left us, so he could search around for more information in case things went south. As for us, we were hiding close to the front of the gates where several guards standing by the entrance.

"Looks like we made it," spoke Gray. "But I don't see our friends anywhere. They must hiding the lacrima somewhere nearby."

"Willy, can you use your Aqua Sense to sense where the lacrima is?" asked Erza.

"I can, but I'd have to be inside of the castle," I said. "I haven't really tried it in a castle before, but if they're anywhere inside, they have to be in there. But... should we be... I don't know, stealthy about it?"

"We got no time to be steathy," spoke Gajeel. "We need to find that lacrima as soon as possible. Besides, I've already got a plan. I'm gonna go and cause a commotion over there and while that's happening, you guys get inside the castle and find the others."

"But Gajeel, what abvout you?" I asked. "Not that I'm doubting your power and everything, but are you sure you're gonna be able to fend off the soldiers?

"Don't worry about me," smiled Gajeel. "Besides, I've been meaning to knock some heads around."

"Then we'll leave the rest to you," said Erza. "While you're fighting the soldiers, we'll get inside and look for our friends."

"Make sure to beat some of those soldiers' heads for us," said Gray.

Gajeel flashed a toothy smile. "Oh, you know I will," he said.

He then jumped out from where we were hiding and then unleashed a powerful breath attack at the soldiers.

"IRON DRAGON ROAR!"

The soldiers were blasted away sending them flying. Gajeel then went to town fighting the soldiers. I felt a bit worried, but I knew that Gajeel will be able to handle himself. Right now, I had to focus on the task at hand.

While Gajeel was fighting the soldiers, and without anyone else noticing, Erza, Gray, and I quickly ran inside the castle.

Inside, the place was filled with several corridors which were made with gray stone. It was practically a maze.

"Geez, look at all these corridors," said Gray. "A guy could get lost in this place."

"Willy, use your Aqua Sense," said Erza. "See if you can locate where are friends are."

"Will do," I spoke as I placed my hand on the ground closing my eyes. "AQUA SENSE."

I began to glow in blue light as a pulse of magic went through the area. In my mind, I could see the various, blue, humanoid, shapes which represented the soldiers. So far, I could sense only those shapes, but then five blue shapes caught my attention. They were not too far away from us and one of them was blue with a yellow color mixed in and the other two were very small and both of them had green color mixed in.

The other two were a bit far from the other three. One of them was red and the other was an emerald green. Not only that, but like a candle, they were slowly shrinking as if they were being drained. I recognized the five immediately. The yellow one was Lucy, the two with her were Happy and Carla, and the last two were Natsu and Wendy.

"Guys. I'm sensing five magic powers here!" I said. "It's Natsu and the others!"

"Then let's find them!" said Gray. "Where are they?"

"Not too far away. They're over in that direction," I replied pointing to a corridor. "But we should hurry! I think they're in trouble!"

"Then let's go!" spoke Erza. "If they're in trouble, then we must find them before it's too late!"

The three of us then ran down the corridor I pointed and raced as fast as we could.

* * *

 **NO POV**

Meanwhile, at the Royal Palace, a lot of things were happening at once. Chaos would be a better word.

To keep things short and simple, Natsu, Wendy, Carla, and Happy made their way through Edolas being unable to use their magic but still were desperate to save their friends. They also eventually met up with Lucy who was also sent by Mystoga and also met their Edolas counterparts. Soon enough, they too made it to the Royal City.

However, things took a turn for the worse. You see, the group had planned to infiltrate the palace with the hopes of using Lucy's Celestial Magic to summon Gemini to copy the king's mind, so that they could find a way to return their friends to normal, a plan created by Carla, but somehow the Royal Army predicted their attack and captured them.

Happy and Carla were at Extalia which was their original homeland originally being praised as heroes, but the two eventually escaped that place regaining their Aera magic in the process.

As for the others, Lucy was sitting in a cell awaiting execution while Natsu and Wendy were taken to a separate cell with the king planning to extract their magic from them using them the king's greedy purposes.

While in her cell, Erza Knightwalker dropped by to see Lucy before she is executed and Lucy went on to talk to her about how much she reminded of the Erza back home. Feeling insulted and angered, Erza takes Lucy to the balcony and tosses her off hoping to kill her, but luckily Happy and Carla were able to rescue her in the nick of time. However, their relief was short-lived as the Extalia Royal Army were in hot pursuit. The king then initiated an operation called Code ETD making his soldiers turn the entire army into a giant lacrima. Using the confusion as a cover-up, Carla, Happy, and Lucy quickly hid inside of the west tower with the hopes of finding Natsu and Wendy with Erza Knightwalker and in hot pursuit. They soon found out that Natsu and Wendy were somewhere inside of the basement in the West tower thanks to Carla playing a ruse on Knightwalker.

Eventually, they were chased into a storage room hiding from the soldiers and catching their breath. Happy was laying on Lucy's lap due to him being injured during the chase.

"As it stands right now, we're trapped like rats," spoke Carla quietly.

"They've no doubt beefed up security around them for sure wherever they have Natsu and Wendy," said Lucy. "We probably can't get anywhere near it." She then looked at her hands which were bound by a strange white substance. "If only I had this gunk off of me. I'd be able to use my magic."

"We were so close too..." Carla bitterly spoke clenching her hands."It's over... Wendy..."

Then Happy began to stir on Lucy's lap as he slowly opened his eyes making Carla and Lucy feel relief wash over them.

"Happy... you're alright," spoke Carla.

Happy then struggled to feet, determination etched on his face. "We can't give up! Not now!" he spoke defiantly. "We owe it to Natsu to keep on fighting till our last breath! I'm sure that's what he would do for us! We can still win if we have just as much faith as he does! If we don't honor his fighting spirit and help, we don't even deserve to survive or call ourselves Fairy Tail wizards!"

"But... do you have any idea what we should do?" asked Lucy.

Happy looked up and saw a large stack of flour. That was when he had an idea.

* * *

In a corridor, a bunch of soldiers stood outside of a corridor where muffled screams could be heard from behind a pair of big doors. Suddenly, with a mighty yell, Happy came bursting out of the darkness carrying a large sack in his hands.

"It's a fallen! The blue exceed!" cried a soldier.

"Get ready for my poison mist attack!" yelled Happy as he threw the sack unleashing its contents.

The contents spilled out creating a big white cloud of dust blinding the soldiers. They all hold their breath not wanting to inhale the dust that was considered to be poison, but they soon realized that it wasn't poison at all.

"That's not poison! It's just flour!" coughed a soldier. "It's a trick!"

As the flour cleared, Happy shot right past the soldiers disappearing into the corridor with the soldiers following in hot pursuit. As soon as they left, Lucy and Carla peeked out from the corner making sure that it was safe.

"It seems like the plan worked," spoke Carla.

"I just really hope that Happy can outrun them," said Lucy worriedly.

They both then went on ahead of them hoping that they wouldn't get caught, but then a huge explosion blasted in front of them sending them both flying back and hitting the ground hard. The two girls looked up and to their horror, they saw Erza Knightwalker along with her soldiers standing before them.

"Creating a diversion to draw away our forces is the most predictable strategy you could have chosen," she spoke. "Did you take us for complete amateurs?"

At that moment, a soldier walked holding a very slightly beaten Happy and threw him to the floor. Then they all heard a pair of voices screaming in agony. A male and a female voice. Lucy and Carla knew who those voices belonged.

"That's Natsu and Wendy!" cried Lucy. "What are you doing to them?!"

"In order for us successfully execute Code ETD," explained Erza with an evil smile. "We must acquire the necessary magic power to do so. And with that being said, your devil's luck has run out. It's time to die."

As she continued to hear the sounds of Wendy and Natsu's tortured screams, Carla's eyes began to flood with tears not being able to bear hearing such sounds.

"Please! You're going to kill them!" she sobbed. "You have to give them back!"

Erza didn't listen. She raised her staff as it sparked with power preparing to finish the job, but then she stopped. Happy had struggled back up to his feet and staggered over to Carla standing in front of her. He eyes had tears in them too, but his face was full of bravery as he glared at Erza.

"I... won't... let you hurt Carla," he panted. "Not while I'm here... You'll have to kill me first!"

Erza scoffed not feeling intimidated. "Very well then," she smirked. "If that's what you want, your wish is my command!"

She took aim with her spear and was about to kill the blue cat, but then the wall beside them exploded and a cold mist billowed from it causing the soldiers to clamor in surprise.

"What's happening?" demanded Knightwalker.

Then, they all heard three voices coming from inside the mist.

"You got some nerve lady!" growled a male one. "You know that they're with us and you decided to mess with them anyway!"

"Anyone who would lay a hand on our fellow guild members will be dealt with accordingly," said a female voice.

"And you should also know, that it wouldn't be wise to get on our bad side," said another male. "Those who do so will get no ounce of mercy from us!"

Carla, Happy, and Lucy who knew who those voices belonged to, all had their eyes wide with shock.

"But... but how?!" murmured Carla. "I thought that you were all gone."

Lucy's eyes then filled with tears as a joyful smile crept on her face as the mist cleared revealing the three who stood in front of them. A redheaded woman wearing armor with a blue miniskirt, a shirtless man wearing pants and shoes, and a young boy who wore a blue shirt with arm guards with black shorts.

"Erza... Gray... Willy..."

* * *

 _Another chapter come and gone!_

 _If you guys have any other questions or want to give me some pointers, Review or PM me!_

 _Until then, Dragoman out!_


	75. Chapter 75 E Land in Chaos!

_Here you go guys! Another chapter!  
_

 _Enjoy and happy reading!_

* * *

Chapter 75

E Land in Chaos!

 **WILLY'S POV**

I stood in the middle beside Gray and Erza as we stood in front of the mob of soldiers with Erza Knightwalker in front. I glanced behind them and I could see Lucy, Happy, and Carla, all of which were overjoyed to see us. However, the three of them looked like they've seen better days.

Lucy had a few bruises on her face along with the rest of her body with some strange white goop binding her wrists while Happy who was surprisingly wearing clothes which comprised of a white button down with red suspender pants, and Carla had both their furs a bit matted and covered in dust. However, the three of them were alive and well.

"No way... it can't be," I heard one of the soldiers say.

"I don't believe it..." another soldier said. "She... looks just like her! Another Captian Erza?!"

"And wait... is that Gray Surge from Fairy Tail?!"

"And who's that boy in the middle?! I don't think I've seen him before."

"Just who the heck are these guys?"

"They're Earth Landers. That's the only possible explanation."

The soldiers all seemed to be surprised to see us. Even Erza Knightwaller was shocked to see the Erza we knew standing in front of her.

"You guys have got some explaining to do," growled Gray with anger soaked in his voice. "Like, where are our friends that your king turned into a lacrima?!"

He slapped his left fist into his right palm making cold air erupt from them with magic power. Then he slammed his hands to the ground and unleashed a powerful wave of ice on the ground that had spikes which overwhelmed the soldiers. Then I saw someone jump up past Gray's attack onto the wall and jump straight towards Gray.

It was Erza Knightwalker who saw Gray wide open aiming her spear to impale him, but Erza from out nowhere stepped in front of Gray just in time to block Knightwalker's attack with her sword. Their weapons collided with a mighty metallic clang creating a concussive blast of wind that blew throughout the area.

"I don't believe it!" I heard Lucy cry with amazement and shock. "It's Erza versus Erza!"

Then I saw some soldiers in the corner of my eye get up to their feet raising their weapons.

"We must help Captain Knightwalker!" I heard one say. "Get the Earth Landers!"

"I don't think so!" I yelled as I clenched my hands cloaking them with water. "WATER DRAGON WING ATTACK!"

I rushed forward and unleashing streams of water from my hands sweeping all the soldiers that were up with my attack at once sending them flying. Now Erza could focus on her fight with her Edolas self. Just then we heard a familiar voice echoing through the hallway.

 _"You're asking for it! You're in big trouble now! When I get out of here, I'm gonna beat the crap out of every last one of you!"_

Everyone turned their heads towards the hallway where the voice came from immediately knowing who it was.

"That was Natsu!" said Lucy.

"He must be somewhere nearby!" said Gray.

"His voice came from somewhere up ahead!" spoke Happy who was now back on his feet.

"And I bet that Wendy's with him too," said Carla.

I then placed a hand on the ground using my Aqua Sense. "Yes! They're there alright! But they're magic power is waning and growing smaller by the minute! We have to hurry and get to them!"

"Gray! Willy! You two help the others and go on ahead!" spoke Erza. "I can handle this!"

Gray and I looked at each other and gave each other a nod. We then ran over towards our friends. Gray went over to Lucy and used his magic to freeze the white goop that held her wrists shattering it while I went over to Happy and Carla using my healing magic to ease their wounds.

"Lucy? Are you OK? Can you stand up?" asked Gray as he helped Lucy to her feet.

"I'm fine. Thank you, Gray," replied Lucy.

"How about you guys?" I asked Happy and Carla as I finished healing their wounds. "You feel any better?"

"Much better. Thank you," spoke Carla.

"Yeah, thanks a bunch Willy," said Happy.

"So, where the heck did you guys come from?" asked Lucy. "I mean how did you get here?"

"The details are gonna have to wait," Gray told her. "Right now, we have to go."

Gray, Lucy, and I then ran ahead with Happy and Carla flying next to us down the corridor leaving Erza behind to face her Edolas self. I was a bit worried about her facing herself, but I had faith that she could handle herself and defeat herself. Soon enough, we were far enough in the corridor away from the two Erza's getting closer and closer to where we heard Natsu and Wendy and stopped to catch our breath.

Then, Gray began updating Lucy, Carla, and Happy on what was going on and how he and Erza came to be here on Edolas.

"Wait... the lacrima at the plaza? That's where you two came from?" asked Lucy incredulously.

"That's right. It just so happens that me and Erza were trapped inside of it," explained Gray.

"But how were you guys able to turn back to normal?" asked Happy.

"You can thank me and Gajeel for that," I said. "Long story short, that Anima or whatever sucked up Magnolia left me and Gajeel behind for some reason. We then ran into Mystogan who told to go to Edolas and sent us there. Eventually, we came across the lacrima that Gray and Erza were in and busted them out turning them back to normal."

"Oh yeah! I almost forgot," said Happy. "Willy and Gajeel are dragon slayers too, so it would make sense that the Anima didn't work on them either."

"I guess that means all the dragon slayers were left behind in Earth Land," said Lucy thoughtfully. "But... here's what I don't get, why didn't Mysogan come here himself rather than sending Willy and Gajeel?"

"Because apparently dragon slayer magic is capable of all sorts of things no other magic can do in this world," said Gray. "Even having the power of turning all of our friends who are trapped in that lacrima back to normal."

"Seriously?" whispered Carla her eyes wide in disbelief.

"Yes. It's true. Gray and Erza wouldn't be here if it wasn't," I said. "I couldn't believe it either when Mystogoan told me and Gajeel. However, the problem is we have no idea where the lacrima is located. I can't even locate it with my Aqua Sense considering that this castle's huge."

"Carla and I saw that lacrima earlier," spoke Happy raising a paw. "I remember exactly where it is!"

"Seriously, Happy?!" I gasped staring at the blue cat. "That's great!"

"Do you think you can get close to it?" asked Gray.

"Aye!" Happy said.

"Happy, can you find Gajeel and take him straight to where the lacrima is?" I asked. "He's rampaging outside of the palace looking for it as we speak."

"I can take him there, as long as Gray's sure he can change everyone back," spoke Happy with determination emanating from his eyes.

"Well, he's the only one that can do it," said Gray. "But then again, Natsu, and Wendy can do it too. However, I'm sure that neither one knows how to do it yet."

"And I'd help too, but I have a feeling you guys will need me," I said. "After all, I can track down our enemies using my Aqua Sense, so you'll need someone who can sense magic."

"Don't worry," spoke Happy. "Gajeel and I are gonna get our friends back right now! Count on it!"

And with a beat of his wings, Happy took off flying disappearing into the darkness of the corridor.

"Happy, wait!" called Lucy. "Are you sure you're going to be OK by yourself?!"

"He'll be fine," spoke Carla with resolution. "I know he will."

I looked at the white feline feeling a bit surprised. A while back, Carla didn't want anything to do with Happy and seemed to hate his guts, but now she had absolute faith in him and seemed to be on good terms with him. Not only that, but Happy seemed to be bolder than before. It made me feel curious as to what the two cats went through.

"Carla... I've never heard you say that about Happy before," I spoke. "Did something happen to get you to stop hating Happy so much?"

The white cat looked at me and gave me a small smile. "Let's just say that Happy's shown me just what kind of cat he really is," she said.

"Come on guys, let's get going," said Gray. "We gotta find Natsu and Lucy."

The four of us then took off running down the corridor hoping and praying that Natsu and Wendy would be alright. However, Natsu's voice could no longer be heard and the corridor was eerily quiet which made me get a bad feeling. Soon enough, we could see the end of the corridor and in front of us was a pair of big double doors.

"Over there! I can see some doors!" spoke Lucy.

"That's gotta be where they're holding them!" said Gray. "Let's bust them open!"

Gray and I then kicked open the doors with all our strength and when we got inside the room, a startling sight awaited us. Lying on the floor, each slumping against a strange rock was Natsu and Wendy. The two appeared to be completely unconscious and they were as pale as sheets. The four of immediately rushed over to them to check them over. Lucy and I went over to Natsu while Gray and Carla went to Wendy.

"Hey! Are you OK? Say Something!" spoke Gray as he gently shook the girl.

"Oh, Wendy...Please wake up..." pleaded Carla her eyes now flooding with tears. "I'm so sorry... Please forgive me..."

"Natsu, Natsu, are you alright?" I said trying to wake him up. "Come on..."

"Please Natsu, can you hear me?" asked Lucy as she gently lifted the dragon slayer. She tried waking him up by shaking him as well but to no avail. "It's no use... he's out cold... and Wendy is too."

"That's because you're not doing it hard enough," spoke Gray. "Here, let me try." He gently set Wendy down and went over to Natsu. Then he grabbed the unconscious Natsu by the shoulders and began shaking him wildly like a ragdoll. "Hey! Wake up you idiot!" he yelled. "This isn't the time to be sleeping on the job! Wake up, you stupid pyromaniac!"

"Geez! You don't have to be so rough with him, Gray!" cried Lucy worriedly.

"Yeah! Take it easy! You're trying to wake him up not kill him!" I yelped.

Gray then stopped. "I... suppose you're right," he said. Then he dug into his pocket and then took out the vial of Xballs opening it. "In the meantime, let's feed them some Xballs since they're unconscious." He then fumbled as he tried to open Natsu's mouth. "Come on you fire breather, open your mouth!"

"Wait... what are those?" Lucy asked.

"They're called Xballs. They're some kind of pill that will allow you to use your magic here in Edolas," I explained. "Mystogan gave those to me and Gajeel. Didn't you run into him at some point?"

Lucy paused thinking back. Then she gasped remembering. "So that's what that was," she said. "I was wondering what he popped into my mouth."

"Good thing you did because if you didn't, you wouldn't be able to use your magic without it," spoke Gray.

The ice mage then dropped an Xball into Natsu's mouth. Natsu stirred seeming to have finally regained conscious somewhat and then he swallowed it. Then suddenly, Natsu broke into a coughing fit as if he had just been rescued from drowning. I was worried at first thinking that was choking, but thankfully he stopped and his breathing slowly got back to normal.

"Alright then, now let's give one to Wendy," said Gray as he walked over to the bluenette.

While he was feeding Wendy the Xball, me and Lucy looked over Natsu to make sure that he was OK.

"Natsu, are you feeling any better?" asked Lucy.

Natsu didn't respond as he lied on his belly seeming to struggle as he got up, but then he clenched his right hand into a fist and slammed it on the floor as it burst into flame his magic power finally returning. His face was also twisted into a desperate yet angry snarl.

"Yeah... I'm fine," he growled. "But we have to hurry and stop them!"

"What do you mean, Natsu?" I asked. "Stop who?"

Natsu still didn't reply. Then he let out an angry and ferocious roar in anger unleashed a powerful blast of flames from his mouth into the airs surprising us and before any of us could react, he took off running disappearing past the double doors.

"Natsu! Wait a minute!" cried Lucy.

"Get back here!" yelled Gray. "Where the hell are you going?!"

Just then, we all heard the sounds of coughing which was coming from Wendy causing us to turn our attention towards her. We then rushed over to her.

"Wendy are you OK?!" asked Carla worriedly.

"Take it easy," I spoke as I kneeled down to her. "Just breathe."

Wendy then slowly opened her eyes. "Carla... you're here..." she panted wearily.

"Are you hurt?!" asked Carla.

"No... but... the others... are in trouble..." Wendy said. "It's... horrible!"

As she sat up, her eyes began to fill with tears until they were streaming down her cheeks. I patted her soothingly on the shoulder trying to calm her down.

"Wendy. What is it?" I asked. "What's happened? Tell us everything you've heard."

Wendy sniffed and looked up at us. "It's... it's terrible! The Royal Army... they're gonna destroy Extalia... by crashing the giant lacrima directly into it!" she wept. "All of our friends in Fairy Tail are in danger because the king of Edolas is gonna use them as a bomb!"

Everyone with the exception of Wendy's eyes widened in shock. I myself couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"Wait... Wendy, you're not making sense," I said. "How exactly does the king intend to do that? I mean is the lacrima floating somewhere above or something along with this Extalia you mentioned?"

"Yes. They must be," said Lucy. "I don't know if you have noticed Willy, but Edolas has lots of floating islands in the sky. All of this is due to Extalia which is the thing that keeps those islands floating. It's also the very thing that maintains the magic balance in this world. I've read about that in a book."

"Then if that's true, then the lacrima containing everyone in Magnolia is one of these floating islands?" I asked.

"Yes and they're on one very close to Extalia," spoke Carla quietly. "Both of those islands are floating just above the Royal City which is where we are now."

"The Royal Army is planning to hit that floating island with a bunch of dragon slayer magic," spoke Wendy. "They want to speed it up, so it'll crash directly into Extalia."

"I'm afraid to ask, but if that happens, then what'll happen?" asked Gray tentatively.

Wendy paused choking back a sob, then she spoke. "They're saying that when the magic powers from both islands collide... it'll create a huge explosion fusing them together. Then, magic power will rain down on the kingdom forever!"

Everyone's shocked expressions were now turned into horror.

"But... if that happens..." spoke Lucy. "All of our guildmates will-"

"...will disappear for good!" finished Gray.

I could feel my hands clenching at their sides as I began to visualize what would be in store if this plan of the kings would go through. If it did, I would never be able to see any of the friends I made in Fairy Tail again. Most especially, Mira and Elfman.

"No... this can't happen..." spoke my voice shaking with anger and horror. "There's no way we can't let that happen!"

Just then, we heard the sounds of running footsteps coming from outside of the doors leading to the corridor making everyone be on guard.

"Hear that? Someone's coming," said Gray.

"The guards?" whimpered Lucy.

"We'll find out soon enough," I said.

The footsteps came closer and closer and everyone prepared themselves for a fight, ready to attack whatever was coming. But they had no need to do that. Rushing through the door, his face paled with fear, and letting out a wail of horror as he ran in, was Natsu.

"What the hell?! It's Natsu!" spoke Gray.

"And he looks like he's seen a ghost," I said.

"Did you guys see that?! There were two Erzas!" the fire dragon slayer screeched horrified. "As if one wasn't enough! It's freaking terrifying! And not only that, there's a showdown going on between those two monsters?! If that's the case, then the world is doomed! Doomed, I tell you! We're dead! D-E-A-D! Dead be we! A cornucopia of despair and destruction is coming our way to ensure our deaths!" Then Natsu stopped and glanced over towards me and Gray. He then stared at us wide-eyed and shocked. "Holy crap! It's Gray and Willy!" he cried. "But are you my Gray or weird Gray? And are you the real Willy or are you the Edolas Willy?"

"I've got no idea what you're saying, but you need to cool it," said Gray. "Otherwise you'll get a left hook to the jaw Pryo."

"It's really us, Natsu," I added shaking my head. "We're not the Edolas versions or anything like that."

"And that answers that question," spoke Lucy flatly. "It's kinda obvious that they're Earth Land Gray and Willy."

"Seriously?!" squeaked Natsu. "But how'd the heck did you guys get here?! And where's Happy?!"

"Long story short, a lot of things happened and now Willy and I are here," said Gray. "Erza and Gajeel too."

"And Happy left to take Gajeel to the lacrima to free our friends," added Lucy.

Wendy then gasped. "Wait... you're the real Gray and Willy?! Why didn't guys say so?!"

Gray and I then stared at the bluenette feeling a bit shocked, Gray especially looking a bit insulted.

"Hold on a minute, you mean to tell me that you just now noticed them?" asked Carla raising a brow.

Wendy nodded in response.

"Wendy, you really didn't know that this is the real Gray?" I asked sweatdropping. "I mean you couldn't tell from him being half naked and such?"

Gray was now looking depressed seeming to be a bit hurt. "Oh... I get it, you didn't recognize me because it was so dark down here, right?" he said miserably. "It's not like I'm some kind of loser that's practically invisible to you."

"Oh man... now he's sulking..." sighed Lucy. "Then again, I can't blame him."

Natsu then took notice of Lucy. "Hey! Did you guys save us a moment ago? And I see that you're OK too, Lucy! And you too, Willy!"

Now Lucy looked a bit peeved at the fire dragon. "I guess all of you dragon slayers are oblivious, huh?" she grumped.

"Hey! Don't lump me with him!" I spoke indignantly. "I may be a dragon slayer, but I'm not oblivious! Well, not as much as Natsu anyway."

"I'm so sorry Gray! I didn't mean to offend you!" squeaked Wendy who was furiously bowing in repentance. "Thank you very much for saving us!"

"Eh, don't mention it," said Gray who was still sulking.

Wendy then bent down and gave Carla a hug. "And thank you Carla, for coming to my rescue again. You're the greatest."

Carla seemed a bit hesitant, but she returned the hug in earnest. I then looked back towards the corridor and suddenly remembered. I got so caught up in the craziness, that I almost forgot about the task at hand.

"Hey guys, I hate to break up the reunion, but we gotta get out of here," I said. "If what Wendy said was true, then we don't have a lot of time. We have to find the king of Edolas and stop him from destroying Extalia and our friends."

"Oh yeah! I almost forgot," smirked Natsu as he cracked his knuckles. "Then let's go find that king and stop him from crashing that lacrima!"

Everyone nodded in agreement and we were just about to head down the corridor when Natsu suddenly stopped us.

"No wait!" he squeaked fearfully. "We can't do that way! It's where the two monsters are fighting!" He then pointed towards another direction leading to another corridor. "Let's go this way!"

"But we can't just leave Erza to fend for herself!" protested Lucy.

"You sure you want to get in the middle of that?" asked Gray. "I mean this is Erza we're talking about. And... apparently, her opponent too."

Lucy then thought about it and then she hastily nodded. "On second thought, you make a good point. Let's go this way."

The four of us then took off running down the corridor in search of the king. However, I took notice of Wendy and Carla who for some reason staying behind.

"Carla. Wendy. You two coming?" I called.

"You guys go on ahead," Wendy called back. "We'll catch up with you!"

I really didn't know what Wendy was up to, but I decided to leave her to her own devices. As for me, Natsu, Gray, and Lucy, we ran down various corridors and ran upstairs and downstairs seeming to go who knows where. Eventually, we were able to get above and we welcomed to the sunlight in a corridor onlooking a courtyard. However, we were as lost and confused like a bunch of puppies.

"Does anyone have any idea where this king guy is?" asked Natsu.

"Well seeing as he is the king and all, I would assume that he's over at some high and mighty place," said Gray.

Natsu feeling a bit irritated stopped running and got up in Gray's face nose to nose. "What kind of a high and mighty place, Frosty?!" he growled. "I was asking for some specifics!"

"How the heck should I know?!" Gray growled back. "Like I've ever stepped foot in this castle before! Cut me some slack would you?!"

"Come you guys, knock it off," sighed Lucy.

"Well, this is to be expected," I said shaking my head. "That's Natsu and Gray for you. However, I have to a agree, this place is very confusing."

"I'll say," agreed Lucy. "I don't even understand the layout of this place. The cells are way too high and the courtyard's very complex. I've heard about concentric castles, but this isn't anything like those. It's very different than anything I've seen in Earth Land, so it's gonna be very tough to figure out."

Me, Natsu, and Gray looked at Lucy feeling very confused as to what she had just said not understanding a single word.

"What are you blabbling about, Lucy?" asked Natsu. "You're confusing my brain here."

"I don't really understand it either," said Gray. "But I'm guessing you're basically saying that the building's a crazy one, right Lucy?"

"That's right," sighed Lucy. "In fact, I wouldn't be surprised that they would be hiding some kind of amusement park inside somewhere."

"Come on Lucy, that sounds ridiculous," I said. "Even if this castle's crazy huge and like a maze, there's no way that there could be an amusement park in here."

The four us continued looking around trying to see if we could find the king. Finally, we came to a large and spacious room that was bigger than the other rooms we've seen with a checkered floor.

"I wonder what this place is?" I wondered.

"I don't know," said Lucy. "Probably another dead end?"

Just then, we heard Natsu and Gray scream at the top of their lungs in shock. "There is one!" they yelled.

Me and Lucy then came up beside them wondering what they were so surprised about, but then we saw the reason and our eyes went wide too. In front of us, was the gates of an actual amusement park with a big sign that read; E-land.

"Um.. Lucy? You wouldn't happen to be psychic would you?" I asked quietly.

"Like hell I am!" cried Lucy. "I was just kidding!"

"Is... is this king all right in the head?!" exclaimed Natsu with a goofy grin. "He seems like a total nutjob!"

"You have no right to call someone a nutjob with a face like that," spoke Gray.

"Well... should we look around?" I asked. "Maybe we can find some kind of clue."

The four of us then walked through the gates and looked around. There were concession stands, various tall buildings, and even some rides. I couldn't have believed it if I didn't see it, but this was a true blue amusement park. I couldn't help, but feel somewhat amazed and excited from this. However, I had to remember that we were on a mission and I had to stay focused.

Then as we walked on, something next to us turned on and became alive with music and light. We looked and we saw a carousel spinning slowly around. Then I saw someone riding on one of the horses. It was a man wearing pink armor and had blond hair in a pompadour style.

"I just looove carousels," hummed the man. "They're so much fun. You wanna give it a try?"

Lucy, Nastu, and Gray stared at the man dumbfounded but I, however, tensed up. For upon seeing that man, I recognized him and it wasn't in a good way.

"That guy... I've seen him before!" I said.

Lucy looked at me puzzled. "You have? Where did you-"

Then suddenly we heard a noise coming from behind us. We all looked back and saw a large ship coming straight towards us. All of us immediately took action by jumping out of the way thinking that the ship was going to run us over, but instead, it didn't. We then realized that it wasn't a ship at all. It was one of the rides which was ship swung back and forth now also fully active swinging back and forth. But that wasn't all. On top of the ship, another person stood of whom I also recognized.

It was the boy with the purple hair with a white bang and the white coat, riding in front of the bow of the ship holding a strange wand in his hand.

"Man... unlimited magic power sounds totally awesome!" he said with a hint of maniac anger. "But it sucks that we're so close to running out of it for good. In fact, just the thought of it makes me really mad. You guys have no idea how that feels."

"Fear not Hughes," spoke the man with pink armor. "Our kingdom has a chance to obtain everlasting magic power and we'll do whatever it takes to in order to make it happen."

"We're desperate here," went on Hughes. "And if anyone tries to get in our way, we'll put them down!"

The four of us could see that we were trapped by these two, so we had no choice but to brace ourselves for a fight.

"So, will you all come quietly back to your cells?" asked the man in pink armor. "Or will you all die here instead?"

"You don't give cattle a choice here, Sugarboy," snapped Hughes. "You make em do whatever you want. We already took their magic power, so what's the point of keeping them alive? If Code ETD goes exactly like the old man hopes, then these eyesores are no longer needed. And if there's one thing we excel, it's clearing out the glutter."

"What the hell are these guys yammering about?" asked Natsu. "And who the hell are they?"

"They're captains serving the king's army," I said. "Sugarboy and Hughes. Me and Gajeel saw them a while back when we first arrived in Edolas. Long story short, not good news."

"So, you've done your homework eh?" Hughes said looking at me. "And I'm guessing that you're the one that I supposedly saw back in the forest. It's perfect. Now that you're here, I can take you out along with your other Earth Land friends! Hope you're ready to meet your makers!"

Hughes then waved his wand and the boat ride he was on began to move as it glowed in a yellow light. Then the ship snapped off its hinges and came flying straight towards us. I was about to move in front to shield us using my Geyser Wall, but Gray beat me to the punch slapping his right fist into his left palm.

"ICE MAKE SHIELD!" he yelled as a large shield made of ice appeared in front of us.

The ship crashed into the shield with a large amount of force shattering itself and destroying some stands in the area and the carousel, but the shield held and protected us. Hughes who was now standing on a metal bar looked down at us with seeming to be surprised.

"You gotta be kidding me," he murmured. "These Earth Land freaks can use magic like the exceeds too?!"

"I thought that their itemless magic was nothing but rumors," spoke Sugarboy who was still on his horse even with the carousel was destroyed. "It's truly a breathtaking sight to behold."

Natsu then went on the attack igniting his fist with fire, jumping up towards Hughes and slammed him in the face with a powerful punch with it. Hughes was sent flying downwards until he hit the ground hard making the ground crack and crumble as Natsu was now standing on the metal bar looking down at him.

"You ready to give our friends back yet?!" he demanded. "If not, there's more where that came from!"

Hughes then sat up seeming to not be affected by Natsu's punch. "Sorry, but that's not my call," he smirked. "Even if it was, it'd take a lot more than that to make me give up unlimited magic power. You'll just have to accept the fact that your friends are history!"

Hughes then waved his wand as it glowed in a yellow light. Then seeming to come from out of nowhere, a red car from a roller coaster ride with a demonized face on it came zooming right towards him.

"Natsu! Look out behind you!" cried Lucy.

Natsu luckily saw the car zooming towards him and jumped out of the way in the nick of time.

"You'll have to do better than that!" he smirked.

But Hughes was smirking too. "I could say the same for you!" he said as he waved his wand in an incredible speed. "HELL TORNADO!"

The roller coaster began to glow in a yellow light just like the ship. Then the rail began to bend and as the roller coaster rode along, it made its own track changing its own path. Natsu couldn't help, but be amazed by this.

"That's freaking awesome!" he squealed with glee. "That car is making its own track as it goes! How cool is that?!"

"You're not supposed to be happy about it!" Hughes spoke. "But anyway, that's the power of my Command Tact! It allows me to control everything in this amusement park from that Hell Coaster you see to its creepy clowns."

He waved his wand and sent the Hell Coaster towards Natsu once again. This time instead of dodging, Natsu once again ignited his fist with flames and punched the Hell Coaster shattering it to pieces.

"I don't care if your wand can make the castle do the cha-cha!" he said. "I wreck your coaster and you're out of puppets!"

"You may wanna rethink that strategy, lava brains," laughed Hughes. "Do you honestly think that one was the only one I had? I've got a whole symphony of hell coasters waiting for me to guide them to their next victim! Not only that, but they can go ten times faster when I boost their magic power. Their crushing speed can defeat even the most toughest of opponents within minutes!"

Hughes then waved his wand and then three more hell coasters came zooming in heading straight towards Natsu. The fire dragon dodged one after the other, but the hell coasters were too fast. Before Natsu realized it, he was now in one of the hell coasters. He tried to get out, but a pair of hands came out from the back and held him down by the shoulders preventing his escape. At first, I was hoping that Natsu could break out of the coaster, but then I realized his biggest weakness and sure enough, I could see that Natsu's face was blue as his cheeks puffed up making him look like he was about to puke.

Hughes saw this and began to laugh hysterically. "You gotta be kidding me! It hasn't even been ten seconds and you look like you're gonna hurl! How the heck were you able to survive this long?!"

"Oh no! I forgot about his motion sickness!" I gasped. "Hang on, Natsu!"

I was about to run towards Hughes seeing as he was the one controlling it, but then the ground below me suddenly grew soft making my feet sink into it. Lucy and Gray were also sinking too.

"What the heck?! What's going on?!" I said trying to pull my feet out. "I'm sinking!"

"What are we standing in?! Some kind of tile quicksand?!" yelped Lucy.

"I'm not so sure we want to know the answer!" said Gray. "We gotta get out before we sink completely! Then again, Natsu isn't looking so hot."

"Don't worry! I'll help him!" I said. "WATER DRAGON AQUA JET!"

Powerful jets of water shot forth from the bottoms of my feet making me shoot out from the floor. While I was in the air, I spread out my signature water wings and was now flying.

"My word, that boy can fly using wings made of water?" I heard Sugarboy say. "How odd yet at the same time, beautiful."

I flew towards Natsu who was still inside of the Hell Coaster feeling sick to his stomach. I grew closer and closer to him hoping to reach him. I was almost here when I suddenly sensed danger. Something was coming and it was right towards me. I immediately looked down at the corner of my eye and saw something coming straight at me. I didn't know what it was, but I immediately moved to try and dodge. However, whatever the attack it was hit me square on one of my wings destroying it and the force of it blew me sideways causing to drop falling straight towards the ground.

"Willy! No!" I heard Gray scream.

"He's been hit!" I heard Lucy cry.

As I fell, I began to spin somewhat losing control, but I was able to right myself and then summoned forth another pair of wings using them for parachutes. I also shot water from my feet hoping to cushion the fall. Thankfully thanks to using my wings as well as my Aqua Jet. I was able to land on the ground safely.

"Whew. That was too close," I spoke with relief. "It's a good thing I avoided that attack just in time."

I then took a look around. From the looks of things, whatever attacked me had blown me quite a distance away from Natsu and the others. It seemed to be another part of the park, but it was dark and quiet with only the neon lights and a couple of flickering lamposts for light.

"What the heck is this place? Another part of this amusement park that's creepy?" I wondered. "In any case, I've got to get back to Natsu and the others, so I can-"

Then I stopped once again sensing danger. Something was coming. Something dangerous. Sure enough, I heard the clanging sounds of footsteps coming towards me from behind. I slowly turned around and I could hear that the footsteps were getting closer and closer. Then from the light of the lamppost, a single figure emerged.

The figure wore black armor on its upper body with the belly exposed, wore white puffy pants with black metal boots, and a helmet that had long silver hair coming out of the back in a ponytail. He also had a long katana in its hand which was gleaming in the light.

"So, you were able to survive that attack and save yourself," the figure spoke in low metallic voice. "I praise you for your instinct as expected from you Earth Landers."

I narrowed my eyes and was immediately on guard. "So... I take it you're the one who attacked me?"

"Indeed," spoke the armored person. "Forgive me, but I wanted to test you to see if you Earth Landers lived up to your reputations. I've also heard about two wizards assaulting the plaza and destroying the lacrima. One of which was using water magic. Seems that one of the said wizards happens to be you."

"So that's it," I spoke. "I had a feeling that attack seemed a bit off. You were holding back."

The armored figure then took a couple steps forward and then waved his sword. Immediately the lights brightened and I could now see the area around me.

"You may have survived this long boy, but I'm afraid this is where your journey ends," spoke the armored being. "However, I'm willing to give you a chance to surrender. If you do so, I won't have to kill you."

"Sorry to break it to you, but I'm afraid I can't do that," I said. "The king of Edolas is planning to use my friends inside that lacrima for everlasting magic power and there's no way I can stand by while they're in danger. Besides, something's telling me that even if I do surrender, you're going to kill me anyway, so I can't exactly trust you."

"What a pity," sighed the armored figure as he readied his sword. "Then you shall meet the end of my sword before I send you to the depths of hell. For I am the black sword, I am the hellish steel, destroyer of every wizard guild that dared to defy my king, captain of Edolas' fifth magic warfare unit and loyal warrior to my king, Faust. I am Kuromen the Demon Swordsman! And your end is nigh!"

"Oh yeah? Well, I'm a water dragon slayer wizard from Earth Land's Fairy Tail!" I proclaimed as I summoned forth my swords. "I'm also the diciple of Master Tu-Chi, one of the ten wizard saints and the son of the water dragon Aquadia! I'm Willy Falconer and I will defeat you, no matter what!"

* * *

 _The clash between Willy and Kuromen is about to happen!_

 _Will Willy triumph or will Kuromen claim his next victim?_

 _Also, will Kuromen be like a reverse Haku from Naruto?!_

 _PM or Review me!_

 _Dragoman out!_


	76. Chapter 76 A Lowly Ninja vs A Samurai

_Here we go, guys! The next chapter is up!_

 _Enjoy! And Happy Reading!_

* * *

 _The opening begins in the world of Edolas with the camera slowly panning downwards. As it does we see nine Fairy Tail members of Fairy Tail looking towards the distance determined. Natsu, Happy, and Carla in the front, Wendy, Lucy, and Erza in the upper left, and Gray, Willy, and Gajeel on a ledge in the right. We then see transparent up close shots of the Mages. First Happy and Carla, then Gray, Gajeel, and Willy, next, Wendy, Lucy, and Erza, and finally Natsu.  
_

 _ **Chotto yogoreta SUUTSUKEESU wo motte**_  
 _ **Nani mo shirazu ni sora kara orita**_  
 _ **Chizu no mukou, koko ni sanjou**_

 _It is revealed that the Fairy Tail members are looking towards the Royal City of Edolas as the camera pans up towards it as the Fairy Tail logo appears. The camera continues panning upwards showing the entire Royal Castle until it stops at the lacrima that is Magnolia revealed to be floating right on top of the city._

 ** _Yume ni mita akogare no basho  
Yea Yea Yea (Yea Yea Yea)  
The Rock City Boy (The Rock City Boy)  
Yea Yea Yea (Yea Yea Yea)  
The Rock City Boy (The Rock City Boy)_**

 _We see Natsu taking on Hughes and his army of Monster Academy monsters using his Fire Dragon Iron Fist to knock down one of the monsters that attacked him. With a wave of his Command Tact, Hughes commands his army of monsters to attack Natsu. We then see Gray and Sugarboy fighting over a large key that Gray has encased with ice due to his magic. Sugarboy seems to be sneering at Gray while Gray is determined to stop_ Suagrboy _from taking the key._ _ _We now see a crying Coco who appears to be running away from Byro holding the large key in her hands. She stumbles a little, but she manages to keep running as Byro chases after her. Lucy who is wearing a bikini skirt outfit, turns around and sees that Coco is in trouble. She then unleashes a whip the rope being made of some kind of water making it dance around her as Coco and one of Lucy's spirits' Virgo watch on amazed.__

 ** _Oh baby JANJAN kabe norikoeyou with my guitar Todoku made oh yeah utaou_**  
 ** _Just music sore dake de Kimi ni sasageru yo oh yeah_**

 _We see Erza fighting Erza Knightwalker their weapons clashing. Erza quickly requips to her Heaven's Wheel Armor while Knightwalker's spear changes as they collide again. Erza is looking distressed having to be fighting such a tough opponent while Knightwalker is all smiles thrilled that she's fighting Erza. We also see Willy fighting Kuromen their blades clasging until they enter in a sword lock trying to push each other back. As the two gaze grimly at each other, something glints in Willy's eye a little and it turns a slight green color. We then see Gajeel blocking a giant sword that was swung by Pantherlily with Gajeel smiling taking the blow in stride while Pantherlily is distressed having to be surprised that Gajeel blocked him.  
_

 ** _MAJI de kyoutsuuten no hou ga ooi nchau no? with my guitar  
Sagashinagara yea utaou, just love tada sore dake de_**

 _King Faust is screaming with insanity as he is riding inside controlling what appears to a large metal dragon which roars loudly causing some rocks to float from the power as it stands before Natsu, Wendy, Gajeel, and Willy. Natsu is a bit intimidated, but he doesn't back down as he along with the other dragon slayers prepare to fight._ _  
_

 ** _Oikake get free?! My perfect dream!_**

 _Now we see the entire Edolas Fairy Tail Guild. Then we see Carla, Happy, and an unknown exceed that looks just like Carla. The unknown exceed is female and is wearing royal garb while Happy is looking confused and Carla is looking depressed about something. Then we see Mystogan letting out a cry of victory as he holds up his staff in the air as he stands on top a pile of rubble with the people of Edolas raising their fists with him. We see an up-close shot of Natsu smiling, an up-close shot of Happy with Natsu in the background, Natsu, Gray, and Happy with an up close shot of Gray and Natsu in the background carrying Happy by his backpack, and then an up-close shot of Gajeel scowling while crossing his arms with Gray standing in the background and Natsu and Happy smiling and being silly._

 ** _Yea Yea Yea The Rock City Boy_**

 _Carla and Happy falling after jumping off from Extalia. They then spread their Aera Wings and Happy smiles while looking at Carla and Carla smiles back at Happy.  
_

 ** _Ne teru toki mo Oki teru toki mo  
Yume wo mikata ni shiyo yo Yea!_**

 _Now there's a montage small clips of every event in Edolas. Natsu is strapped in Hughes' Hell Coaster sick as a dog with Lucy holding on for dear life. Pantherlily readying his large sword, Lucy and Virgo looking up at Byro who is now a giant octopus-like creature, Lucy bringing her whip back to strike her opponent, Wendy and Carla being pelted by stones thrown by the Exceeds with Wendy shielding Carla, Natsu, Gray, and Willy standing in front of Erza who is holding King Faust hostage while being surrounded by Royal Soldiers, a large pillar of red light erupting from the top of the palace with King Faust throwing up his arms laughing with triumph, the lacrima above the palace is now glowing red as its hurling straight towards Extalia with two Exceed watching looking worried, and there are numerous Exceeds taking off into the air with Pantherlily watching in amazement.  
_

 _Finally, we see all four dragon slayers standing on a rock. The camera zooms out revealing Erza, Gray, Carla, Happy, And Lucy standing at the bottom of the rock. The camera zooms out making everyone in the lower right corner as the music ends._

 ** _I wanna believe the singing on beat Most recently is like recess for me  
Pretty pretty please, no birds and the bees But ecstasy with extra cheese  
Rhyming rhino sounding like bono All smacked up with a black jack bottle  
When I say "ho" you say "hey" Nani itteru ka wakaranai yo ne?!_**

* * *

Chapter 76

Ninja vs Samurai

I was feeling a bit nervous facing off against this Kuromen guy. He wasn't like any opponent I've faced before. His stance left no openings and the aura around him was heavy and intimidating. There were only two other people who have this kind of stance. Finn and Tu-Chi. Only this guy's intent to kill was a lot more prominent than they put together. I instinctively gulped feeling somewhat frightened, but I stood my ground and was ready to fight.

Then after a moment that seemed to pass like forever, Kuromen pounced straight towards me bringing his sword over his head and slicing it sword with a great force. I quickly brought my swords into an X and blocked the blow. When our swords collided and I felt a shock through mine making my arms a bit numb. The force was also so strong, that it pushed me back making me skid back a few feet. I looked up in time to see Kuromen shoot straight towards me again. This time I dashed straight toward him swinging my blades at his side. Kuromen immediately brought up his sword to block and our swords clashed once again. Both of us swung our blades at each other making them clash, again and again. The sounds of metal clanging rang in the air.

The two of us then swung our swords with a great amount of force making them collide making a concussive blast of air explode around us. The force from our collision sent us both back flying backward. I leaned back and did a flip landing in a crouch while Kuromen landed on his feet standing his ground. I then took a deep breath and unleashed a powerful blast of water from my mouth.

"WATER DRAGON ROAR!"

The blast of water shot right towards Kuromen, but he raised up his sword and with a mighty swing unleashed a shockwave of his sword slicing my breath attack in half like butter making my eyes widen a little in surprise. Kuromen then straightened up and then brought his sword above his head.

"BLACK BLADE CUT!"

He then swung his sword down as a black crescent energy wave projectile as it came straight at me.

"WATER DRAGON GEYSER WALL!"

I punched the ground in front of me making a geyser shoot forth from the ground making a wall. The attack Kuromen launched slammed directly into it making me grunt a little from the force and huge explosion shake the area.

"How interesting," he said. "You can use water-based magic without having to use a lacrima or a magic item just as the rumors said. How... strange and yet very unique."

"You know, I would say thanks, but I can't tell if you're complimenting me or insulting me," I said. "Anyway, I am a Water Dragon Slayer as well a trained ninja, so I guess you could call me unique."

"A trained ninja you say? How sad," said Kuromen. "A ninja is nothing more, but a common assassin. A mere mercenary for hire. Something like that won't come close to defeating a warrior like me."

"What do you mean?" I asked feeling a bit confused.

"I'm saying that I'm one of the king's most elite warriors," said Kuromen. "A warrior of the highest nobility, one of honor and one of dignity. A samurai."

"So you're a samurai. Big whoop," I scoffed. "What does that have to do with our fight?"

"It has everything to do with it," said Kuromen. "You see, a samurai like myself is far beyond to what a ninja is capable of. I've been trained by the some of the most powerful of swordsman and have been taught the ways of the sword. Meanwhile, you've been trained to hide in the shadows and use unorthodox styles of fighting using whatever means necessary to win a fight. Including ambushing, espionage, sabotage, infiltration, and assassination. How gutless."

Now I felt insulted. "How is that gutless?" I demanded.

"A real warrior should face their opponent and fight until the bitter end," he said. "Those who run are worse than scum. And ninjas like you seem to masters of running."

I squeezed the handles on my swords tightly slightly trembling in anger. "And what could you possibly know about ninja?" I asked hotly. "My master Tu-Chi taught me all about honor and the ways of the ninja! She's not only a great master, but she's just as honorable as any other warrior!"

Kuromen stared. Then he let out a throaty chuckle. "What ludicrous. No ninja could possibly have any honor," he said. "Your master is either a fool or has pretty strange standards of honor."

Feeling a flash of anger surge through me, I immediately shot forward and swung my blades. Kuromen brought up his blade and blocked them with ease.

"Don't you dare talk about my master like that," I said coldly. "If you say one more thing about her, I swear I'll make you regret it."

"You think your threats can intimidate me?" scoffed Kuromen. "I've defeated countless enemies for my king, Faust. Those who fought against me have either perished or have fled in fear. In fact, you should feel honored. It's not every day that a low-class ninja like yourself gets to lock swords with an elite samurai like myself."

"You know what? I think I've had it up to here with your talking," I said using my swords to push Kuromen back. "Besides, like I said before, you should never underestimate your opponent. Even a 'low-class ninja' can surpass a samurai if he works hard enough. And apparently, if he has enough emotion and something to fight for!"

I pushed back leaping backward until I landed on the ground. I then dispersed my swords cloaking my hands with water while jumping into the air.

"WATER DRAGON WING ATTACK!"

I released a powerful shockwave of water that collided with Kuromen with a mighty splash sending him reeling. As I landed back on the ground and not letting up on my assault, I conjured a pair of large shurikens which hovered from my hands.

"WATER DRAGON DOUBLE STAR!"

I threw my water stars making them fly straight towards him at a great speed. Kuromen brought up his sword and sliced through the shuriken making them nothing more, but harmless water. Seeing that as an opening, I quickly closed in on him bringing back my fist clenching it and cloaking it with water.

"WATER DRAGON IRON FIST!"

I swung with all of my strength connecting right in the sternum of Kuromen's chest sending him flying into a stall nearby. He flew until he crashed into the stall causing it to crumble and fall apart. I felt a bit satisfied seeing that I sent Kuromen flying, but I knew that that punch alone wasn't enough to take him out. Sure enough, Kuromen burst out from the rubble and was back on his feet.

"Impressive," he said as he brushed the dust off his armor. "I never expected that. It seems that you're more powerful than I thought. If I wasn't wearing this armor, you would have given me quite a bruise."

"Enough with the flattery," I said. "I know you're pulling your punches. I mean even I know that those attacks alone weren't enough to deal some damage to you. You've been holding back on me."

"Is that so?" asked Kuromen in a coolly tone. "And how do you know this?"

"I can tell. You could have blocked my attacks, but you didn't. Besides, I'm holding back a little myself," I said. "So, why don't you stop fooling around and show me your true strength Kuromen, so I can beat you to the ground and call it a day."

Kuromen straightened up and let out an even louder laugh. "I see. You're quite the interesting boy," he said. "Out of all the people I've fought in my countless battles, never once did someone ask me to show my power. Well... other than Erza Knightwalker that is. Very well then. If you wish to see the true power of Kuromen the Demon Swordsman, I'll be more than happy to show you..."

He paused impressively and the took a stance holding his sword with two hands taking a Chūdan stance. A tense few seconds passed then he spoke in a low voice that made him sound threatening.

"TWICE CRITICAL."

At that moment, he began to glow in a strange gray light. A strange pressure began to emanate from his body making his silver hair dance in the wind from the force. His sword also began to glow a bit in a strange black light. At that moment, I immediately summoned my swords preparing for whatever he had for me, but I would be in for a surprise. One minute, Kuromen was a few feet away from me. The next minute, he suddenly appeared in front of me his sword at his side about to slice upwards. At the last moment, I leaped back barely managing to dodge just as the blade narrowly missed my cheek. I backflipped trying to get away, but Kuromen was right on my heels as he went on the attack.

"Crap! He's even faster than before!" I thought to myself.

Our sword fight once again resumed our swords clanging and clashing. However, every time I parried Kuromen's attacks, I could feel some slight pain from parts of my body as if Kuromen was getting to me even if I was blocking.

"You're fighting very well, boy! But compared to what I am right now, you're nothing but an amateur swordsman!" yelled Kuromen as he attacked. "Your skills as a ninja are mediocre compared to a trained samurai!"

"Wanna bet?!" I yelled as I sliced with both swords horizontally.

Kuromen immediately ducked having to have seen the attack coming. He swept my legs with a low sweep kick causing me to stumble, then he lunged forward thrusting with the hilt of his sword connecting it smack on my cheek. As I felt the impact, he quickly spun around and then hit me in the back of my head with a back turning kick.

"BLACK LOTUS STRIKE!" I heard him say.

I let out a cry of pain as I was sent flying and tumbling on the ground. I was able to jump up and land to my feet in a crouch as I skidded to a stop, but my cheek, as well as the back of my head, were now throbbing in agony. I looked back in time to see Kuromen poising his sword as it glowed in a black color.

"DARK BLADE FORCE!" he yelled.

He swung his blade unleashing a powerful wave of black as it ripped the ground heading straight for me. Seeing the attack coming I placed my hands on the ground and used my Geyser Wall to protect myself. The attack slammed directly into my shield this time with a lot more force. I grunted as the overwhelming attack barreled into my wall. Then to my shock, the attack began to break through my wall. Having no other choice, I quickly jumped out of the way just as the wave destroyed the wall and shot right by me continuing on its path until it obliterated a building reducing it to nothing more, but rubble. Dust flew everywhere making a huge cloud as I landed on the ground.

"That was way too close!" I thought to myself. "If I didn't dodge that, I would have ended up like that building!"

I then looked around in the cloud of smoke I was in trying to see where Kuromen was. Thankfully, I couldn't see anything, so taking this opportunity I quickly ran out of the dust and hid behind a hotel building. I straightened up and wiped my cheek. I felt something warm and wet on it causing me to look at it. On the back of my hand, I saw that it had blood on it. I also took notice of a couple of cuts and scrapes all over my arms and my legs bleeding slightly along with bruises. My cheek, in particular, had a big bruise on it thanks to Kuromen hitting me with the hilt of his sword.

"Damn it... this guy's tougher than I thought," I thought. "If I had to make a guess as to how strong he is, I'd say he's almost as strong as Erza when it comes to swordsmanship. One thing's for sure, I'm in a bit of a pickle. If I don't find a way to take this guy out and soon, I'll be taking a long dirt nap. There's got to be a way for me to get him."

I looked out from the corner trying to see where Kuromen was. I also remembered when we clashed carefully taking note of his style of fighting, his armor, and anything else that was notable. So far, I didn't see any openings and I couldn't think of anything as far as a plan of attack. I racked my brain trying to come up with some kind of plan. Then I had an idea. From what I can gather based on from what I've seen, when he said Twice Critical, his power and speed seemed to increase. His sword even began to glow whenever he used his attacks, so therefore, the sword he wields must have been some kind of magic item.

"If I could knock his sword away from him," I thought. "If I can at least do that much, I should gain some kind of advantage. He may be a samurai, but even the strongest samurai is useless without his sword. And if I'm gonna do that, I'm gonna need water. And lots of it."

Then I heard Kuromen as he slowly walked out of the cloud of dust.

"I'm impressed that you were able to last through all of that," Kuromen said. "Not to mention that you tried to block my Dark Blade Force. Most people would have died after that attack. You're not an ordinary opponent. However, if you plan to defeat me by hiding like a coward, you might want to try a little harder."

Sensing danger again, I immediately jumped up in time to see another wave unleashed by Kuromen destroy the building. As I landed on the ground, I looked up in time to see Kuromen coming straight for me with his sword poised. But rather than take it head on, I immediately ducked dodging the blow making the sword just barely cut a few hairs off of my head. I immediately turned around and then with a spring of my legs, took off running as fast as I can.

"You dare to run and turn your back on your opponent?!" Kuromen called. "Come back and face me you, filthy ninja!"

I ignored him and continued to run. Kuromen then swung his sword and with a mighty yell, unleashed another shockwave of power. I jumped into the air dodging the blow and then summoned forth my water wings. With a mighty flap, I took off flying into the air and flew high. I happened to glance down and I saw Kuromen keeping up with me. At first, I thought that I was safe and thinking that Kuromen couldn't reach me up here, but I was wrong. He was right on my heels hopping from building to building in the park jumping into the air.

"BLACK BLADE CUT!" he yelled.

Hearing him say those words made me immediately bank to the right just as the projectile of his Black Blade Cut shot right past me. As the wind of the attack buffeted at me, Kuromen unleashed another attack forcing me to bank to the left. I kept on dodging and banking and Kuromen kept attacking and slicing. As I flew, I quickly scanned towards the ground below searching for something.

"Come on... Come on..." I thought. "There's gotta be some around here somewhere..."

Then Kuromen jumped up with his sword raised ready to slice me down. I immediately banked downwards dodging again, but then Kuromen did a flip in the air and then hit me on my back with a downward kick.

I grunted in pain as I was sent flying downwards towards the ground, but I quickly was able to right myself using my wings. Then a familiar scent wafted into my nose.

"There it is!" I thought.

I swooped downwards flying close to the floor until I saw what I was smelling. There in front of me was a large body of water. It seemed to be some kind of attraction for a ride or something, but it was just what I needed. I dove straight down and hoping to dive into the water, but Kuromen suddenly reappeared his sword pointing down at me.

"Now you're mine!" he yelled.

Having no chance of dodging, I quickly summoned forth a sword and brought it up horizontally to block. Our swords collided with a mighty clang, but Kuromen's sword slashed right through mine and sent me flying downwards splashing down into the water below. I let out a cry of pain as I hit the water. I was expecting it to be deep, but instead, it was rather shallow. As I stood up, I winced as I felt some slight pain on my chest. I looked down and I saw that my shirt was ripped with a gash oozing with blood underneath. I placed my hand on my chest and began using my healing spell.

"The wound isn't serious, but I didn't want Kuromen to use it as an advantage," I thought. "I have to make this quick, otherwise this guy'll see it as an opening."

"It seems that you decided to stop running away," said Kuromen. "And I'm starting to understand why. Since you're a water mage, you were hoping that this pool would give you some sort of advantage, right? Sorry to say, that won't work. This pool is as shallow as a small pond, so you won't be able to swim in it. You might be able to increase your power, but it would be minuscule at best."

"Don't be so smug," I said. "You may think you've figured out something about me, but I've figured out something too. Your sword... It can cancel out magic can't it?"

"What made you come to that conclusion?" asked Kuromen.

"Based on from what I've seen, you... no. I'm pretty sure all of you commanders have magic items," I said. "Since we Earth Landers have eternal magic power, I would have to assume that you of Edolas don't and use magic items instead. Sugarboy, Hughes, and even your version of Erza. All of you rely on magic items and your sword is no exception. Your sword can absorb magic and I'm guessing it somehow makes your techniques stronger. Am I right?"

Kuromen chuckled. "Well... I'll grant you this, you're pretty sharp," he said as he showed off his sword. "This sword was forged by one of the king's finest blacksmiths. As you say, it has the ability to absorb magic and store it, converting into power solely for my techniques."

"I guess that also explains how you were able to get through my Geyser Wall," I said. "You not only were able to get through it with power, but you were also able to use the magic you absorbed in it as well. I gotta admit, you may not have eternal magic power within you, but you got quite the weapon. I can see how you were able to take down the wizard guilds."

"Now who's the one complementing?" spoke Kuromen as he readied his sword. "If you're trying to sweet talk your way out of this, then don't because I intend to make this place your grave."

I looked down at my hand where it was covering the wound and saw that my wound was now completely healed. I looked back at Kuromen and flashed a smirk.

"I hate to be the one to tell you this," I said. "But I'm not gonna die! At least not today!"

I then took a deep breath and the water rippled around me as ropes shot into the air. The ropes danced until they shot into my mouth as I was now drinking the water.

"What is this?" I heard Kuromen say sounding surprised. "He's... drinking the water?"

I gulped down as much water as I could feel my magic power growing and my power restoring. Soon enough, I had my fill and I wiped my mouth feeling satisfied as looked at Kuromen smiling as my body began to glow blue.

"Hope you're ready Kuromen," I said. "Because from here on in, I'm going all out!"

While letting out a loud yell, I extered my magic power making my aura which was my magic grow bigger and causing the water to ripple around us. Kuromen readied his sword looking to be a bit rattled. Not waiting for him to recover, I cloaked my hands with water once again and dashed towards him in an incredible speed and socked him right in the cheek with an Iron Fist.

The attack sent Kuromen backward as he slid in the water trying to regain his balance. He looked at me and then raised his sword as it glowed black.

"BLACK BLADE CUT!" he yelled.

He swung his sword unleashed another black projectile of energy. This time instead of blocking or dodging, I cloaked my leg with water and then gave the attack a powerful kick diverting it away.

"Impossible!" gasped Kuromen. "He deflected my Black Blade Cut with just his kick?!"

I shot straight towards him letting out another yell of battle as my surged with magic. I conjured another pair of shurikens from my hands, took aim, and then threw them towards him.

"It's useless!" called out Kuromen. "You can throw whatever ninja stars and even your breath attack all you like, but I'll just absorb it with my sword with one touch!"

He readied his sword ready to intercept the shurikens, but at the last moment, the shurikens changed their path and Kuromen was forced to dodge making them clip his shoulder and his right side leaving him open for attack. I then clasped my hands together and concentrated for my next spell.

"WATER DRAGON CLONES!"

At my command, four other clones of me appeared from out thin air and then me along with the clones shot straight towards Kuromen. I first jumped up and cloaked my hands with water.

"I told you! You can't use your magic on me!" said Kuromen. "I can use my sword to-"

"WATER DRAGON GEYSER WALL!"

Ignoring Kuromen, I slammed my fists into the water and a huge wall of water gushed forth from it.

"What is this?! Using your shield again?!" I heard Kuromen say. "I told you that it's useless!"

Sensing his attack coming, I ducked out of the way just as Kuromen's blade sliced through my wall like butter. Two of my clones having to have also dodged immediately came down from above attacking both of his sides.

"WATER DRAGON ROAR!"

"WATER DRAGON WING ATTACK!"

Their spells hit Kuromen straight on as he let out a grunt of pain. Then my two other clones came charging at him from the front.

"WATER DRAGON...!"

"IRON FIST!"

"BLADE!"

"TALON!"

"GUSHING ELBOW!"

The two clones then attacked Kuromen using the melee styles of my dragon slayer magic finishing it off with one clone kicking and the other with a punch. I summoned forth my blades and then dashed towards Kuromen ready to deliver the finishing blow. Kuromen staggered recoiling from the beating instinctively putting up his sword, but I immediately kicked upward on his hand and knocked the sword out of his hands.

"No! My sword!" he cried.

"Now I have you!" I yelled. "WATER DRAGON DOUBLE BLADE!"

I crossed my arms and rapidly sliced Kuromen with my swords hitting him with everything I had. I slashed and I sliced about ten times and then finished up with a powerful cross slash hitting Kuromen right in the chest as I reappeared behind him. He screamed in agony he felt my relentless assault as he fell onto his knees. His armor had scratches, the bodysuit was ripped with fresh wounds underneath, and he also had tears on his pants making them lose their puffiness a little. My clones then disappeared as I pointed my sword at his back. Sensing that I had his sword pointed to him, Kuromen didn't move a muscle.

"I see. You drank the water to regain your magic and power yourself up," he said. "Not only that, but you used your water wall technique to smokescreen yourself and the clones. Then you got between me and my sword and knocked it away, so you could attack me in full force. Not bad."

"That's right. You've lost this battle," I said. "You're a strong warrior. I'll give you that, but this is the part where I ask you to surrender. If you give up now and tell me where the king is, I won't hurt you any more than I already have."

There was a long silence.

"Why would you ask such a ridiculous request?" Kuromen asked. "You know as well as I do that someone like me will never tell you where he is. If I was you, I would kill me while I have the chance."

"That may be so, but I would rather settle this peacefully," I said. "I don't mind fighting, but I refuse to take a life. Even if that life is my enemy. Besides, there's no point in fighting anymore. I've knocked your sword away and your defenseless. Without it, you can't boost your power or absorb my magic let alone fight back."

A long silence passed once again. Then the sound of laughter could be heard. At first, it was quiet, but then it grew louder and louder. The laughter was coming from Kuromen.

"You know... I take back what I said about you," he said. "You're not a coward or scum..."

At first, I thought that he was planning to give up, but then he turned his head towards me, his faceless mask seeming to ooze with hatred behind it.

"... you're nothing, but a naive fool," he finished.

Before I had a chance to react, I felt something connect in my stomach hard knocking the wind out of me as I splashed down on the water. I coughed and gasped trying to get my breathing in order.

"To think that someone like you would offer an enemy mercy," he said with disgust. "That's the epitome of stupidity and an insult. If you don't have the resolve to finish off your opponent, then you have no right to call yourself a warrior!"

"You... don't have to do this!" I choked standing up. "We can... work this out!"

"Silence! You will not persuade me to betray my king!" yelled Kuromen. "I will protect my king from harm and will destroy every person who dares stand in the way of his vision and his dream! That is the vow I made to my king. I would rather sell my soul to the devil than let anyone take or harm my king! And if someone dares threaten his life or his kingdom, I will have no choice, but to strike them down! And since you've proven to be a major threat, I have no choice but you come at you with full force!

He turned around and then spoke in a tone of voice that took a turn for the demonic.

"FULL POWER CRITICAL!"

His body then exploded with a powerful aura as it flared with magic power.

"I gotta stop him!" I thought as I immediately poising my swords. "I can't let him power up!"

I then dashed straight at him and slashed with my swords, but as I did, something happened that made my eyes widen in shock. My swords instead passed right through him like he was some kind of phantom. Then Kuromen swung his blade and I crossed my swords to block, but then I felt something slice on my back making me grunt in pain. I staggered and immediately jumped back.

"What the heck?! My swords went right through him!" I thought. "Not only that, but he hit me from behind when he was attacking from the front! How was that even possible?!"

With a yell, Kuromen shot straight towards me and swung his blade in an even more incredible speed than before. I crossed my swords immediately blocking. As our swords clashed, my swords began to deteriorate and lose their form leading me to believe that he was absorbing my magic. I immediately jumped back trying to get away, but Kuromen was right on me slashing his blade once again at my left. I tried bringing my sword to the left to block, but suddenly I felt something slash my right hip ripping my shorts and making a gash that oozed blood. I tried slashing again, but once again the attacks seemed to go right through him as he attacked from the front only to have my back struck again making me yell in pain. Sensing that he was on my right, I looked to try and see where he was, only to have my left hip get slashed ripping my shirt making more blood ooze. He then rapidly kicked me in series of kicks each one powerful and quick and finished off with a powerful frontal slash. I crossed my swords to block making a huge metallic clang. Next thing I knew, I was sent flying across until I slammed into a hut of sorts. I groaned as I was in more pain than before.

"Gah! Not again!" I thought as I winced in pain staggering to my feet. "This time from the right when I was trying to block from the left! Every time I tried to attack, I either get attacked from the opposite side or my attacks go right through him! What is this technique?! Did his attack and speed improve that much?!"

Kuromen then took a leaning Ox Guard stance and his sword began to glow in a blacker color than before. His aura grew more powerful as well as his pressure making the water ripple and splash about and the color of his aura made him all the more intimidating. His faceless mask, in particular, was what made my blood cold. His face may have been hidden behind that mask, but even I could feel that there was murderous intent behind it. This sight was enough to make my heart stop. I felt scared, terrified, and most of all, completely helpless.

Then suddenly, Kuromen disappeared. The next thing I knew, Kuromen was standing behind me making me freeze. He took a few steps forward and then he slowly sheathed his sword making about a third of it remain out.

"BLACK BLADE HIDDEN TECHNIQUE," he spoke quietly. "MIDNIGHT ONSLAUGHT."

He then sheathed his blade completely with a clang. Next thing I knew, my entire body was engulfed in pain as several wounds opened up all around my body as I screamed loudly in pain. I stood there motionless trying to comprehend what had just happened and frozen in pain. Then I fell on my back into the water with a splash.

* * *

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 _Till then... Dragoman out!_


	77. Chapter 77 Mercy

_Sorry, I wasn't around last week, so here's another chapter to make up for it!_

 _Especially with that cliffhanger._

 _Anyhoo, Enjoy and Happy Reading!_

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Chapter 77

Mercy

I lied there in the water in overwhelming pain and being unable to comprehend what had just happened. One minute, I was winning and thought I had defeated Kuromen, the next minute, I'm lying on my back in the water bloody and defeated. I was confused, dazed, and most of all bloody and very much wounded. I then heard the sound of footsteps coming towards me. I looked up and I saw Kuromen looking down at me.

"How... was he able to attack me like this...?" I thought. "His attacks came from every direction... but... how...?"

"You seem confused," said Kuromen. "I thought you would have noticed by now. You've been attacking my afterimages the whole time."

My eyes widened a little. "His afterimages?! That's... that's impossible! And yet... it makes sense," I thought. "He was moving so fast, I instinctively went for his afterimages. That's why my attacks seemed to go through him and why I was attacked in the opposite direction..."

"And what you just felt was my most powerful technique as well as my full power," went on Kuromen. "I was moving so fast, no being could see me move. And I must say, that you're way too slow even when you fall."

I gulped as I felt a lump in my throat not being able to breathe. I then let out a cough letting out the lump that was blocking my throat. It didn't take me long to realize, that it was my own blood. Not only that but out of all the wounds around my body that I felt, my stomach felt in the most pain of all. I felt my stomach feeling a big hole making me realize that not only did Kuromen rapidly slice me, but he also stabbed me there without me realizing.

"You brought this upon yourself you know," said Kuromen. "I'll admit you were a tough opponent, but I'm afraid that you never stood a chance against me. You would have been able to defeat me if you had delivered the finishing blow and you had the right idea by knocking my sword away, but you made two miscalculations. One, your naivety for hoping to end this fight peacefully. The moment you and I crossed paths, this was the only fate for you. The second was for thinking that my sword was the only thing that granted me my abilities. As I said before, my sword's primary function is to absorb magic attacks and make my attacks stronger."

He paused dramatically and I looked at him my breathing becoming somewhat irregular and the water turning warm due to the blood I was losing.

"My power... comes from my armor itself," spoke Kuromen. "This armor was commissioned by King Faust himself, made from a lacrima and from the greatest of steel. Whoever dons this armor, their speed, as well as their power, will increase based on the command I give it. When I said Twice Critical, it doubled my power and my speed. When I used Full Power Critical, it increased my abilities to their peak making me fast as well as powerful. I guess you could say I have two magic items."

"So that's it... his armor was powering him up the whole time..." I thought. "That must be how he was able to knock me back before I realized it when I had my sword pointed..."

At this point, my body began to feel cold and heavy and I was starting to lose consciousness.

"It seems that this battle is over now," I heard Kuromen say. "Normally, I would inflict the finishing blow, but there's no need to. My last attack struck most of your vital spots including your arms and legs and your midsection, so you can't move. Not to mention that you've lost a lot of blood. In a manner of minutes, you'll die from your injuries."

I then heard the sounds of Kuromen walking away as I lied there getting sleepier and sleepier. I tried to will myself to stay awake, but I couldn't as my body grew colder and colder. My eyelids grew heavier and heavier making vision grow darker and darker. I could still feel the warm water and hear the footsteps of Kuromen walking away, but they were starting to shut down too along with my other senses.

Then I heard Kuromen.

"Now that this battle's been dealt with, it's time for me to catch up with Hughes and Sugarboy," he said. "I'll expect they'll need my assistance in handling the Earth Landers. One thing's for sure, every single Earth Lander will die today. And the dream that Faust has been longing for will come to fruition and the lacrima representing Earth Land and its people as well as Extalia will be sacrificed for our kingdom's future for everlasting magic power."

That was when I felt myself completely losing all feeling to my body.

"No... not like this. I can't die here..." I mentally yelled at myself. "Get up! Get up and move dammit! What was the point of coming here if I was going to die anyway?! If I die... then me escaping that prison would have been for nothing and everyone in Fairy Tail will die... my friends... my family... Natsu... Lucy... Gray... Wendy... Elfman... Mira... I... have to get up! I HAVE TO GET UP!"

* * *

 **NO POV**

Kuromen walked away having to be satisfied in defeating Willy. Now that the filthy ninja was out of the way, his king was safe at least for the moment.

"Now I can focus on taking out the other Earth Landers," he said to himself. "There should be at least three others fighting Sugarboy and Hughes while Knightwalker's fighting with her Earth Land counterpart. Not to mention that Earth Lander that was with that ninja before that can produce steel with his magic. I must eliminate them before they do any more damage. They'll fall just like him."

He was almost far enough away from the boy he had defeated when suddenly the boy whom he presumed to be dead, slowly rose up until he stood back up on his feet. Sensing this, Kuromen stopped and looked back and was a bit surprised.

"What...? He's back up...?" he murmured. "But how? He should be dead with all those injuries."

The boy stood there silently his face hidden from view due to his wet hair. Then his body began to glow in a blue color. As it glowed, the wounds that were all over his body opened and oozing with blood began to slowly close up and heal.

"His wounds are healing!" thought Kuromen as he watched. "That must be how he was able to regain himself when I cut him before. He must know some kind of healing magic. I have to stop him before he fully heals!"

He then took a stance and let out a yell as he dashed straight towards Willy with his sword aimed for his throat. But then, just as he was about to strike, Willy's glow suddenly exploded with power sending Kuromen back a little. As Kuromen slid back till he regained himself, he looked back up towards Willy and gasped. Willy's magic aura was now rippling with power now in a darker shade of blue and also having tinges of black around it as well. Wind and water buffeted Kuromen as Willy's magic aura flared much to his disbelief.

"This power... what kind of magic power is it?!" he cried. "It's unlike anything I've ever seen or felt before!"

Willy's aura continued to flare as he stood there motionless. Then suddenly, he disappeared. Kuromen whipped his head around trying to see where he was. Then suddenly, he instinctively turned behind him and sliced his sword horizontally, but he sliced nothing but air. Then he felt a powerful blow slam in right into his abdomen sending him flying and rolling on the watery floor till he stopped in a heap. Kuromen coughed a fit trying to regain the air that was knocked out of him as he looked back at Willy in shock having to have reappeared in front of him.

"What was that just now?! Did he attack me?!" he thought. "If he did... how was he able to move so fast?!"

As soon as he got his breathing in order, Kuromen stood up once again taking a stance still rattled, but not willing to back down.

"I don't know how you were able to get that kind of power boy," he said. "But you're looking for more punishment, then I shall happily oblige! FULL POWER CRITICAL!"

Kuromen's body flared with magic power as he activated the full strength of his abilities once again as he charged at Willy. He swiped his sword aiming for his throat, but Willy ducked out of the way and went for Kuromen with his hands cloaked with black and blue water extending into blades. However, instead of going for Kuromen himself, he immediately attacked to the left where Kuromen reappeared after using his afterimage technique making the samurai go on the defensive and block his blade with his sword. The collision once more created an incredible concussive blast as the two collided.

Kuromen struggled as the force of Willy's blow seemed to have more power than before. He then quickly retreated by using his speed to pull away from him. Then he dashed straight towards Willy and then aimed for his stomach hoping to stab him. He thrust his sword forward rapidly wanting to kill the boy before he gained the upper hand. The attacks seemed to have hit, but to Kuromen's shock, his attacks seemed to go right through him as Willy faded. Kuromen suddenly felt something slash him on his stomach one again making a gash gushing a bit of blood. Then on his arm, his back, his leg, and on his forearm. He winced in pain as he staggered from his fresh wounds. Then he looked up and saw Willy divebombing straight for him with his swords raised. He quickly brought up his sword horizontally in time for Willy to attack with one of his blades at him making his along with his own blades clash once again with a mighty metallic clang.

"This can't be! How is he making me lose ground?!" Kuromen thought now sounding more shocked than before. "He's only just a boy! Not only was he able to copy my afterimage technique, but he's also keeping up with me! Was he always this strong or was he just toying with me?!"

He then looked up at Willy's face and what he saw made him even more shocked than before. The Water Dragon Slayer's face was completely neutral and calm and most of all, his eyes were completely unfocused and vacant like he was possessed.

"What the hell?! Those dead eyes...!" exclaimed Kuromen. "He's... he's fighting unconsciously and acting on instinct!"

Kuromen also noticed something else as well. As the two blades wrestled, his blade wasn't absorbing Willy's magic like it was supposed to. The magic stayed with Willy as if it wasn't magic at all.

"What?! My sword's not absorbing his magic either! What's going on?! What the hell is he?!" he cried internally.

He then pushed Willy away with a mighty push of his sword and dashed straight toward him again.

"I don't know how you were able to copy my afterimage technique, boy, but you still will not defeat me!" he yelled.

Willy stared at Kuromen and then dashed straight back at him with his swords raised. The two clashed pushing each other back with their blades locked. Then they dashed all around the pool in a blinding speed swiping each other with their blades. The two clashed, again and again, both using their power as well as their speed to try and overpower the other. This time as the two clashed, Willy was able to get Kuromen a couple of times slashing his body. Kuromen tried his best to defend against the blows, but the boy seemed to be faster than before making him unable to counter.

Now feeling infuriated, Kuromen took aim with his sword, his aura flaring in fury and his sword glowing black.

"Enough of this!" he yelled. "I'll settle this with this final strike using all of the magic power I've taken!"

His sword grew blacker as it grew longer than before pulsing with magic power. He raised his sword and prepared to strike unleashing the full power of his blade. Willy slowly turned around sensing that he was about to Kuromen held his sword in front of him as he took an Ox Guard stance once more. He coiled his legs and aimed his sword as he prepared to strike.

"I don't know how he was able to match my speed, but he won't be able to stop my Mightnight Onslaught!" he thought. "It hit him once, it can hit him again! This time, I will make sure that he stays down!"

A few tense seconds passed. Then a single small piece of rubble landed in the water making a slight kerplunk sound. Kuromen then struck!

"MIDNIGHT ONSLAUGHT!"

Kuromen rushed forward now using his maximum speed and Willy rushed toward him using his blades to attack. The two came at each other zipped right past each other and stopped just a few feet away from each other. A moment of silence passed, then suddenly, Kuromen's sword snapped in two its blade falling into the water a muffled splash and clang.

Kuromen stared at his now broken blade in shock not believing nor understanding what had just happened. Then he suddenly felt some parts of his armor chip and fall off and fresh wounds explode with blood as he fell to one knee in pain.

"No... I couldn't follow him at all!" he thought. "He completely eclipsed my technique and broke my sword!"

He was just turning around to see that Willy was shooting straight towards him once again. Before Kuromen had a chance to react, he brought his leg up as his spun around and slammed him right smack in his face with a powerful and devastating kick. The force of the blow sent the samurai sailing into the air until he fell to the ground crashing and rolling into the water until he came to a stop flat on his face.

Kuromen got up on his hands and knees coughing up a fit from the water that got in his throat. He struggled as he tried to get to his feet, but a shot of pain through his limbs preventing from doing so and forced him to his knees.

"Damn it all... I can't get up..." he groaned.

Just then, he heard a cracking noise. Then his vision became overrun with cracks spreading all around. Willy had hit him so hard with his kick, that it caused the helmet that covered his head to crack and begin to crumble. There was even worse to come. The sound of watery footsteps could be heard causing Kuromen to look behind him to see Willy slowly walking towards him.

"Damn it! I have to move!" thought Kuromen. "I have to get up and fight! My blade may be broken, but I'll fight with my fists alone if I have to!"

"FULL POWER CRITICAL!"

But then there was even more trouble. Kuromen was hoping to use his armor to continue fighting or at least have a fighting chance, but his armor didn't activate. The battered and chipped plates helplessly glowed before the light faded away like a candle being blown out in the wind.

"No! My armor's too heavily damaged!" cried Kuromen. "I can't power up!"

A shadow cast over Kuromen causing him to look up. Willy was standing right above him staring at him with his unfocused eyes which seemed to glare at him. He cloaked his hand with blue and black water making it transform into a long blade as he pointed it at Kuromen's throat. Kuromen was now feeling a cold sweat go through his body as he was now feeling scared for his life. He stayed still as a statue unsure of what to do, but then he smiled and he began to chuckle defeatedly.

"Well... I suppose this is it for me..." he murmured bitterly. "Such as the fate of all samurai who lost in battle..."

Willy then pulled back his sword ready to stab the warrior directly into his throat and Kuromen sat there not moving. He was scared, that much was certain, but he refused to move.

"If I have to die... then I'll take pride that I've fallen in the field of battle," he thought. "My only regret... is the fact that I failed my king, Faust. I'm sorry my king... I failed you... and your kingdom..."

Willy then pulled back his sword and thrust it forward delivering the finishing blow and Kuromen shut his eyes waiting for the death blow to come. Suddenly, Kuromen's helmet broke, half of the front falling off completely revealing half of his face. At that moment, the blade that was to pierce Kuromen stopped just inches away from his throat. Kuromen looked back up at the boy wondering why he wasn't finishing him off, but then he saw Willy's eyes.

* * *

 **WILLY'S POV**

I'm not really sure what had just happened to me, but when I came to my senses, I found myself pointing my Water Dragon Blade right at Kuromen's throat. Not sure what I was doing, I immediately pulled my hand away dispersing it feeling a bit startled.

"What the... What... what the heck is going on?" I wondered. "Why am I...?"

Then I took notice of Kuromen. He was pretty battered looking. His armor was cracking and some of it has been sliced off and his bodysuit underneath was littered with slashes and gashes letting out blood. Not only that, but the face of his helmet was broken as well and half of his face was revealed. Then I gasped, for I saw the half of Kuromen's face that could be seen from the helmet. And the face I saw was... myself.

At that moment, the rest of Kuromen's helmet broke exposing her head completely. Sure enough, I could see his face entirely. The moment that I saw Kuromen's true identity, my jaw dropped to the floor. He looked just like me with the exception of the long white hair that was now no longer in a ponytail, except with one significant difference. Kuromen's face was the face of a female. Not only that, but her hair slowly began to darken losing its white sheen until it turned completely black. It was then that I knew that not only was Kuromen female and my Edolas counterpart, but she was also someone I saw before.

"It... it's you..." I murmured. "You're the girl from the other night... and... you're me! But... why are you...?"

My female counterpart looked up at me her eyes still filled with shock as if she was trying to comprehend what had just happened before it changed into anger and some slight bitterness.

"What are you doing? Finish me off..." she said. "You said that you were going to defeat me no matter what, right? Or were those words just empty?"

I felt a flash of anger go through my body, but at the same time, I hesitated. She was right considering that she was my enemy. I had the perfect opportunity to end it, but I didn't want to hurt this girl. Especially since that, she was not only the stranger that helped me calm my nerves and makeup with Gajeel, but she was also my Edolas self.

"I won't do it," I said. "I refuse to kill you. Besides, you're already defeated, so I'll leave it that."

Edolas Me lowered her head clenching her hands suddenly she dug into something in her back and grabbed something in the water. What she grabbed made my heart jump a little. In her hand, was her sword which now broken in half. At first, I assumed that she was going to fight me with that, but to my shock, she pointed the broken blade at herself aiming right at her bellybutton.

"How pathetic. I've not only lost but now I've disgraced myself and my king!" she spat. "I refuse to accept this kind of disgrace!"

Any fool could see that she was about to commit seppuku or in other words, suicide. With a scream, she brought her broken sword up above her head and swung it down, but then I immediately grabbed her hand stopping her.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" I cried.

"What do you think, you fool?!" Edolas Me yelled back. "I'm committing suicide! Not only have you defeated me, but you also have seen my face! I've disgraced my king as well as myself and the kingdom of Edolas and the only thing I can do to redeem myself is to die! I don't need your pity, so let me die and-"

At that point, I ripped the broken sword away from her and pinned her to the ground.

"You idiot!" I yelled. "Why the hell would you throw your life away just for losing a fight?!"

"Because to accept pity from the enemy! It is a disgrace!" the girl said. "You wouldn't understand because you're a ninja, but we samurai are proud and bound by pride! To be pitied by the enemy is not even pity at all! King Faust has no use for warriors like who are broken and defeated, so by defeating me you took away my reason for living and serving him!"

She turned her head down and looked away from me as felt more confused than before. Just what kind of way of thinking does she have that made her the way she was? Why is she willing to put herself through this much just so she could protect her king? The girl looked up at me her eyes still with loathing and hate. Then I saw tears beginning well up in the corner of her eyes as she spoke with her voice cracking.

"Tell me... do you have any idea what it's like to not be wanted by anyone? To live your life without having a meaning?"

"I... I don't know how to answer that. I don't even know what you mean," I replied. "And I also don't know why this Faust guy means so much to you. I mean why would you want to serve a guy that wants to kill innocent lives just to satisfy his own greed for magic?"

Edolas Me paused staying silent for a couple of moments. Then as her tears began to fall down her cheeks, she began telling me her story.

"It's because Faust saved my life and gave me my purpose in life," she said as she began. "He gave me... something that most other people take for granted. A home. I was born in a small town close to the Royal City. However, unlike any normal boy or girl who was born with their parents, my home was an orphanage. I didn't have any idea who my parents were or where I came from, but I was okay with it because the person in charge was like a mother to me. I was happily playing with her rather than the other kids. Back then she would tell me stories about warriors who would fight for their honor and pride. The ones that really struck me fancy were the samurai. I would have so much fun pretending that I was a samurai and dreamed of wanting to become one. I was teased about it by many of the kids because they thought that only men could become samurai but I didn't care. As long as I could become a samurai, nothing else mattered to me. I felt so happy back then. But then... something happened."

She then paused seeming to gather her thoughts as I slowly let go of her helping her sit up.

"Like what? What happened?" I asked.

"The orphanage was attacked," she said. "Everything was completely destroyed by a dark guild."

My eyes widened at this. "A... a dark guild?"

"Yes. Back in those days, there was only a few dark guilds because of magic being legal," went on female me. "When the king made the guilds illegal, there was a terrible backlash. Some of them accepted it while others were infuriated and went on a rampage. The orphanage I was living in got caught in the crossfire and everyone that lived there either fled in terror or died. I for one was able to get away, but after a while when I came back, everything was destroyed. The orphanage was nothing more, but a pile of rubble."

The tears streaming down Edolas Me's face as she clenched her hands into fists. "I tried to find help... I tried to find someone to help me at least find any survivors, but... not a single person didn't care or want anything to do with me," she said bitterly. "It was then that I realized that I was alone in the world. No one cared for me and I was unwanted all because of my background. I wondered around trying to survive.

She then wiped her tears as she sniffled a bit. "Eventually, just when I had given up hope, Faust found me and took me in," she spoke. "Even with someone of my background, he gave me a home in his palace and he trained me in the ways of the samurai. Seeing my potential and wanting my ability, he also forged my sword, my armor and made me a commander. Granted, I was a bit ashamed for being a female samurai, so I kept that part a secret with Faust and Knightwalker being the only two knowing. Other than that, I was once again happy. So very happy."

She smiled wistfully to herself and wiped the rest of her tears away as she stared at the ground. "I'm so sorry my king," she said to herself. "I wasn't able to be the unstoppable tool that you wanted." She then looked back up and me and shook her head softly putting her face into her palm. "I'm sorry... I don't even know why I'm even bothering to open up to you. Maybe it's because you're my Earth Land doppelganger? Anyway, that's why I want you to take my life, Willy Falconer. I'm nothing more, but a tool. A warrior who has to obey his king without any question. Someone who the king depended on. But sadly, I am no longer needed in any of those things. I no longer have a purpose and King Faust will no longer need me. Please... take my life so that I won't have to live in shame."

There was a long silence between us as we sat there me not being sure how to respond after hearing her story. It was sad that much I knew, but at the same time it made me feel a bit angry and confused when she called herself a tool for Faust. It made me think about how I was being controlled by Brain back when I was Shark of the Oración Seis.

Finally, after thinking this over, I held my hand and it began to glow in a bright blue color as it enveloped Edolas Me's body. Then her wounds slowly began to heal.

"What... what are you doing?!" Edolas Me gasped as she looked at herself.

"What do you think I'm doing? I'm healing you," I said. "I'm sorry... but I can't do it. I won't... no. I refuse to kill you."

Edolas Me gasp in surprise as she looked up at me. "But... you have to!" she said desperately. "If you don't, my honor as a samurai will be-"

"I don't give a damn about your honor!" I snapped interrupting her.

Edolas Me was a bit startled from my sudden outburst, but I regained my composure and spoke returning to my calm demeanor as I continued to heal you.

"Look. I understand that you have your honor and pride as a samurai and a loyal soldier to your king, but that isn't me," I said. "That's not how I do things. I didn't come here to kill people. I'm only here to rescue my friends. And the only one who can return them to normal is this Faust guy that you're loyal to. I know that I said I would go after your king, but I never said anything about killing him. All I want is to return my friends back to normal and go home. Nothing more and nothing less."

Edolas Me stared at me completely baffled and stupefied. I then finished healing her and I stood up, turning around and began walking away from her. Edolas Me then called back to me.

"But... wait a minute! Why are you sparing me?!" she demanded. "Why are you letting me go?! Surely you realize that if you leave me alive, then I might come after you and your friends again!"

"Then I'll just have to stop you again. Simple as that," I replied turning towards her. "And I'll keep stopping you until you give up. There's something else too. Actually... there's two things that you need to learn about. First off, what I'm doing is something that most warriors should have even just a little bit. By doing this, I'm showing you that there's another way rather than killing. A way that is by no means a sign of pity nor does it make you weak, but as a sign of compassion. That something is called mercy."

"Secondly, you shouldn't be so quick to throw away your life just because you lost a fight. Your life is precious and you should treasure it. You may think that you're a tool serving your king, but at the end of the day, you're a person. A human being. Live your life. Feel joy, feel pain, taste the sweet taste of victory and the bitterness of defeat. Most of all, you should really know who the real bad guy is here. You may think that Faust is your king and you owe him because he adopted you and is like a father to you and you also put him above everything else, but it couldn't be further from the truth. You're just too blind to see it. Even the most loyal samurai should be able to see if their king is wrongfully committing crimes that would harm innocent lives."

Edolas Me stared at me completely stupified for what I just told her as I spread my water wings preparing to take flight.

"Anyway, to be honest, I'm not really sure why I'm sparing you," I went on. "Maybe it's because you're my Edolas self? Or maybe I'm hoping that you'll change? I don't know. But you should know, that I only have one enemy and that's Faust. However... if he really is that much of a father figure to you, then I'll try to keep him safe. Until then... do what you like."

And with a couple flaps of my wings, I took off into the air leaving my Edolas self behind.

* * *

 _If you liked what you read, feel free to PM me or Review!_

 _Dragoman out!_


	78. Chapter 78 The Dragon Chain Cannon

_Here's the next chapter!_

 _Be sure to check out my Fairy Tail Fanon page!_

 _Enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter 78

The Dragon Chain Cannon

 **WILLY'S POV**

After I left my Edolas self behind, I was flying high in the air above. I wasn't sure if letting my Edolas self go was the right thing to do, but it was better than watching her kill herself just because she lost to me. In the meantime, I had to find Natsu and the others. Hopefully, they were fending for themselves in their fights with Sugarboy and Hughes. I was feeling a bit tired due to expending quite a bit of magic power, but I pushed myself to keep going praying that my friends were alright and well.

So far, I could see nothing, but the park itself with a few destroyed buildings here and there. Then, I saw something that made me stop abruptly and my eyes widen with surprise. On the ground below was a large and strange creature. It was big, a deep red-magenta color, had eight tentacles, and had the face of an elderly man.

"What the heck is that thing?!" I said with a hint of shock. "It's not Hughes... and it's not Sugarboy either. Did one of them summon this beast?" I then shook my head shaking the cobwebs of shock from my mind. "I don't have time to gawk! I have to find Natsu and the others! They've got to be around here somewhere!"

I then flew on passing by the strange creature continuing my search. I flew on until I was coming to the end of the park where we first entered. Then I saw a certain pink-haired someone below me running as fast as his legs could carry him letting out a mighty yell. It didn't take me long to realize who it was.

"Natsu!"

Upon hearing me, the fire dragon slayer screeched to a halt and then looked up and saw me and I swooped down to him touching down to the ground.

"Alright, Willy! You're in one piece!" he said. "We were worried about you after you got shot out of the sky!"

"Thanks for the worry, but as you can see, I'm in one piece," I said giving a slight smirk. Then I took notice of two other people who were missing. "Wait a sec. Where's Lucy and Gray? Are they alright?"

"Gray went off chasing that Sugarboy guy," replied Natsu. "As for Lucy... she's kinda stuck at the moment."

"Stuck? What do you mean by 'stuck'?" I asked raising a brow.

Then Natsu gasped as if he suddenly remembered something. "Wait a sec! We got no time for this!" he cried. "Willy listen! We gotta catch up with Gray and that chin guy right now and get that key!"

"Key? What key?" I asked now confused. "And you mean Sugarboy right-"

"There's no time to explain!" interrupted Natsu. "We gotta catch up with Gray right now!"

Before I could answer, Natsu raced off busting through the door and dashing down the hallway.

"Natsu! Hold on! Wait for me!" I yelled as I ran after him now feeling more confused than before.

The two of us raced down the hall running as fast as we could searching for Gray. Soon enough, we saw two figures in sight just ahead of us. One was Sugarboy who was bruised and bemused, face-down, and completely nude with only a pair of black briefs on. The other was Gray standing tall and triumphant as he held a large key-like object made of ice floating in his hand.

"Get it straight chin boy," I heard him say. "I don't like being called Ice Boy is because I'm an Ice Make Wizard. I can make anything."

"Gray! There you are!" I called. "Glad to see that you're okay!"

I was feeling pretty relieved upon seeing Gray, but Natsu, however, seemed to be angry as he and I came up to him.

"Damn it Gray!" he snarled. "We finally caught up to you, ya jerk! What, you thought that you can keep running from us?!"

"Calm down pyro," said Gray calmly. "I was busy taking out this clown."

I then looked towards the unconscious Sugarboy. "Seems like you had your fair share of trouble too," I said.

Then Natsu grabbed Sugarboy by the shoulders and began shaking him like a ragdoll. "Alright, you lousy creep! Gimme that stupid key!" he snapped. "Hand it over right now or you're gonna be sorry you chinny bastard!"

"Take it easy, Natsu!" I chided. "The guy's already unconscious! And you still haven't answered my question about this key you're talking about!"

"Perhaps I can provide an explanation for you, Willy," said Gray. Then he explained. "You know how the king of Edolas wants to turn our friends into magic power? Well, he has a machine that will do that called the Dragon Chain Cannon."

"The Dragon Chain Cannon?" I repeated.

"That's right. I don't know what it looks like, but I'm assuming it has something to do with the dragon slayer magic they took from Natsu and Wendy," went on Gray. "Anyway, based on from what I heard, the king wants to fire this thing at the floating island the lacrima's on, so it'll crash into Extallia. We definitely don't want that. But if we can hit the lacrima directly with the dragon slayer magic that thing fires, we can turn everyone back to normal."

My eyes widened at this and even Natsu who at this point stopped his interrogation with Sugaboy stopped and was listening.

"Is that really possible, Gray?" I asked with hope. "Can we really return everyone to normal with that?"

"We sure can. And as an added bonus, I destroyed the original key and made an exact duplicate with my Ice Make Magic while I was fighting Chin Boy over there," said Gray smiling. "With this, we'll be able to save our friends!"

I felt a flash a hope and joy go through my body. "That's great!" I said smiling from cheek to cheek. "This is the best news I've heard all day!"

"I don't really understand any of that stuff," said Natsu who was also happy. "But that sounds like a plan to me! Where's the cannon at now?"

"Apparently it's just ahead of us," replied Gray. "But before you go rushing in, there's a bit of a small problem. There's no way to get inside the chamber where they're keeping the thing."

"That's no problem," scoffed Natsu with confidence. "We'll just bust right through the doors with our magic."

"That's not gonna work," said Gray. "Supposedly, the door's made of some kind of wizard canceller anti-magic lacrima."

"That will be somewhat of a problem," I said thoughtfully. "If it can cancel our magic, then we'll never be able to get in."

"Well, I say we should give it a try anyway!" said Natsu defiantly. "We won't know unless we try!"

"And if it doesn't work, then what?" spoke Gray. "Use your head, Natsu. We need a plan."

"But what can we do?" I asked. "I mean it's not like we can ask politely to open the doors or something."

Then we heard the sounds of clinking footsteps coming towards us making us turn towards the sound. When we looked, our eyes widened in shock and horror. Walking towards us, battered, weary, but unbeaten, was Erza. But it wasn't the Erza that we knew. It was the Edolas Erza known as Knightwalker.

"So... it seems that I found you," she spoke panting. "And it seems that you have the key as well."

"No way! It's Erza!" spoke Gray.

"And it's not the Erza we know..." I spoke trembling a little. "It's the Edolas version, Knightwalker!"

"But if she's here... then that means... our Erza lost?!" gasped Natsu his eyes wide with terror.

Knightwalker only smiled as she slowly walked towards us like a lion finally cornering her prey.

* * *

 **NO POV**

At the front of the doors leading to the Dragon Chain Cannon, four guards stood in front of them standing vigilant making sure that no one got by them due to the Earth Landers invading the castle and Code ETD being at its final stage. Then again, even if they could get by, they could never get past the doors considering that they were made by wizard canceller anti-magic lacrima. So far, there was no sign of trouble. Then they heard the sound of footsteps coming towards them. The four guards immediately readied their spears preparing to take down whoever was coming, but then they gasped.

Coming towards them was none other than Erza Knightwalker. She was battered and beaten, but she was still alive and well. Not only that, but she was dragging three unconscious bodies with her tied by rope. Those bodies were Natsu, Gray, and Willy.

"No way! It's Captain Knightwalker!" cried one of the soldiers.

"Glad to see that you're unharmed," said another.

"Does she look unharmed to you?!" snapped the third. "She looks like she got into a fight with a monster!" He then spoke to Knightwalker as he along with the other guards ran up to her. "Do you need assistance Captain Knightwalker?"

"Don't trouble yourself," spoke Knightwalker coldly. "I'm fine."

The guards then took notice of the three unconscious boys on the floor behind her.

"Captain Knightwalker. Who are those boys?" asked the first soldier.'

"They're all keys to the Dragon Chain Cannon," said Knightwalker.

"K-keys?" puzzled the second. "I don't understand."

Knightwalker ignored the second soldier and then went on to speak to the first. "I trust that His Majesty is inside?" she asked. "If so then let me inside."

"O-of course Captain!" said the first soldier. "Open the doors!"

The four soldiers then stood on either side of the doors and they slowly began to open.

"We're very close men," spoke Knightwalker as the doors fully opened. "Everlasting magic power is within our reach."

She then marched inside dragging the three boys in with her. Inside, there was a big and spacious room. In the very back of the room as was stranger altar-like structure. There were two large structures of King Faust's face on either side with a wing in the back and in the middle was a large stone construction that was long and tall and had a strange logo of a dragon on it. In front of this altar was several soldiers and in the very front of the altar, was none other than King Faust himself. Erza then walked up to her king.

"Erza. Glad to see you're still alive," Faust said. "I've heard that you've successfully recovered the key."

"I'm afraid that's only half true, Your Majesty," said Erza. "The key has been destroyed."

King Faust then scowled at the redhead in slight anger. "Explain yourself."

Erza then grabbed Gray by the rope and then threw him before him. "This Earth Lander and create a working copy," she said.

"Who is that?!" asked Faust with a hint of surprise.

"He's an Earth Land Wizard sir," said Erza. "And he's also a comrade of the dragon slayers."

Faust looked at Gray and then back at Erza. "Is he connected to the lacrima that vanished from the plaza?" he asked.

"He is indeed," replied Erza.

"Then free him now," said Faust. "And have him produce the key immediately."

Then with a quick slice of her weapon, Erza cut the ropes that held Gray setting him free. She then pulled up Natsu and held the edge of her sword close to his neck.

"Get up Earth Wizard," she commanded. "And don't do anything rash. With the key you produce, you will activate the Dragon Chain Cannon. Otherwise, your two friends will pay the price for your disobedience."

Gray then looked up at the altar-structure inspecting it. "So this is the Dragon Chain Cannon huh?" he thought. "It's not quite what I imagined it to look like. This'll make things way more complicated."

"Quit stalling!" snapped Erza. "Produce the key, now!"

Gray looked back at Erza and clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Alright fine," he said. "I guess I got no other choice."

He then placed his right fist into his left palm making icy magic power surge through them and then spread them apart. From his hands like before, a copy of the key appeared. Everyone was amazed at this display, even Faust himself.

"So this is the power of Earth Land magic," murmured a soldier. "Amazing."

"But... why does he have to be shirtless?" asked another.

"Get off my back already," said Gray. "I'm not some kind of circus sideshow you know."

The Ice Make Wizard then walked up the altar coming to a large keyhole. He then inserted the key and then with some effort turned until it was sideways. At that moment, the dragon logo above began to glow in an amber color as it surged with magic power. The eyes of the stone structures of Faust's face also began to glow and the ground began to rumble and shake.

Faust seeing this incredible sight laughed with triumph and glee. "YES! THIS IS A GLORIOUS DAY FOR OUR KINGDOM!" he shrieked. "EVERLASTING MAGIC POWER WILL BE MINE!"

"This is gonna be my only chance," thought Gray. "I have to score a direct hit one the lacrima with this thing, otherwise it's all over for Fairy Tail and the people of Magnolia."

Above them, the roof began to open and above them, a giant red pillar of light was shining from above them shooting right into the sky which was coming from the Cannon itself. Gray looked around trying to find somewhat to redirect the weapon wherever they would be, but he couldn't find anything. He then began to grow frantic while Faust continued to laugh like the power-hungry maniac that he was.

"Where's the damn controls?!" he screamed in his head.

"Prepare to fire!" commanded Faust.

Seeing that there was no more time, Gray looked at Knightwalker and she looked at him and gave him a nod.

"Now's the time!" she said and the cut Natsu's and Willy's ropes. "Natsu! Willy! Go!"

* * *

 **WILLY'S POV**

As soon as Erza cut our ropes setting us free, me and Natsu sprang into action. Natsu's entire body flared with fiery magic power while mine flared with blue magic energy.

"Alright! Let's do this!" Natsu yelled. "FIRE DRAGON WING ATTACK!"

He unleashed a powerful blast of flames from his fist blowing away a squad of soldiers making them shriek in agony.

"WATER DRAGON ROAR!"

I took a deep breath and unleashed a powerful blast of water from my mouth blowing away another squad of soldiers. Faust wasn't laughing anymore.

"What is the meaning of this?!" he demanded. "What is going on here?!"

Natsu and I looked back at the old man and both of us flashed toothy smiles. Knightwalker then suddenly appeared and grappling Faust by the arm and held the edge of her sword close to his neck.

"I'm calling off the launch!" she yelled.

"Erza, you traitor!" snarled Faust. "How dare you do this to me?! You're playing with fire here!"

"No way! Is she out of her mind?!" cried a soldier. "This is high treason!"

"Don't be too sure about that," I said. "It isn't treason if she's hasn't betrayed anyone. Why don't you boys take a closer look?"

At that moment, Knightwalker began to glow with magic power. The next minute, her armor changed into a certain redhead's familiar outfit comprised of armor and a blue skirt revealing her true identity. Knightwalker Erza was really the Earth Land Erza just as we planned.

"Nice work, Erza!" called out Gray. "It got a bit hairy there, but thanks to you, we're gonna be able to save our friends!"

Natsu cackled with glee. "You idiots completely fell for it!" he grinned. "Good old Plan D! Deceive the Royal Army dummies!"

"My name is Erza Scarlet, an Earth Land Wizard!" said Erza. "I want you to aim the cannon directly at the lacrima!"

"Don't do it!" yelled Faust. "Fire it at its original target!"

Despite him being held at swordpoint, Faust was still insistent on going through with the plan, but his soldiers weren't so sure.

"Damn it! Now what?!"

"That's pretty low taking a hostage like that!"

"We could care less what you think," scoffed Gray.

"Because we're willing to do whatever we have to do to save our friends!" added Natsu.

"So if you know what's good for you, do as she says!" I said. "Otherwise, your king's gonna pay for it!"

I was feeling a bit worried because I promised Edolas Me and no harm would come to Faust, but I knew that Erza wouldn't hurt him unless she had to. If things grew hairy, I would jump in and stop her. Thankfully, I didn't have to do anything.

"What'll we do?!" asked a soldier. "We must protect our king!"

"No! Fire it now!" yelled Faust. "Forget about saving me and eliminate those Exceeds!"

The soldiers didn't listen. They obviously cared more about their king's safety, so they complied with our demands.

"Changing target! Aim for the giant lacrima!" called out a soldier.

From the cannon above us, a large object came out of the light coming from the Cannon. It appeared to be skeletal-like and had the appearance of a dragon's head.

Faust was now livid with anger. "You cowards!" he roared. "You're throwing away our chances of everlasting magic power!"

It seemed that things were finally going our way and I thought that it would finally be over, but then came trouble. I then saw a glint coming from above as did Erza and Faust. Something then came falling from above heading straight towards Erza and Faust. It turned out to be the real Erza Knightwalker whose face was twisted with rage.

"SCARLET!" she roared.

She swung her spear with the pure intent to kill. Having no other choice, Erza immediately threw Faust away and raised her sword in time to barely block Kngithwalker's attack.

"I thought I was done with you Knightwalker!" snarled Erza gritting her teeth.

"I don't give up so easily, Scarlet!" Knightwalker shot back. "No prepare to fall!"

"No! Erza!" I yelled.

I was about to go to Erza to try and help her, but then I heard one of the soldiers.

"His Majesty's free! Reset to the original target!"

The dragon head on top of the cannon began to growl as the ground began to shake and tremble more violently.

"FIRE!" yelled Faust as he cackled with triumph once again.

"No! The cannon's about to fire!" I thought. "I gotta stop this before..."

I then stopped hoping to get Faust back, but it was too late. The dragon head inside of the cannon shot forth from the cannon straight up toward the sky letting out a roar. It flew and sailed until it crashed straight into the lower side of the lacrima that was still floating from above digging deeply into the rock of it.

"Attachment complete!" shrieked Faust. "Now smash it into Extallia and wipe those Exceeds from existence!"

"NO! DON'T DO IT!" I screamed.

"WE CAN'T LET THIS HAPPEN!" yelled Natsu.

Then suddenly, something bursting through the ceiling from above us making us all look immediately up. My eyes then widened in shock as a large creature came flying towards us. It was one of the creatures I saw when me and Gajeel first arrived. I was immediately on guard thinking that it belonged to one of the captains of Edolas, but then I heard a familiar feminine voice as the beast landed.

"Hey, you guys! Get on its back!"

Every one of us knew who that voice belonged to.

"It's Lucy!" I yelled.

"Holy friggin crap!" shrieked Natsu. "They turned her into a monster!"

Sure enough, Lucy popped up on top of the beast's head along with another girl with brunette hair and having a face reminiscent of a dog. "Quit your babbling and just get on already!" she yelled.

Not wanting to waste time, the four of us scrambled to the legion as fast as we could.

"How could this happen?!" I heard Faust say. "How is she able to control a legion?!"

"Because I'm the one controlling it!" said the brunette girl.

"Coco!" I heard Faust growl in anger.

We all four of managed to get on the legion, the great beast took flight with a flap of its wings and soaring through the hole it created and into the wild now black yonder. It was then we all saw the chained lacrima. It was now on the move slowly going faster and faster glowing red like it was some kind of comet or meteor. Not only that, just like what we heard, it was on a collision course straight towards neighboring island which was assumed to be Extalia.

"Are we gonna be able to stop that thing?" called out Natsu.

"We won't know unless we try!" said Lucy. "We have to!"

"Yeah! We can't give up now!" said Gray.

"They may have been able to link the lacrima, but we can still stop it!" I said. "If we don't then we can kiss Fairy Tail and Magnolia goodbye!"

"THEN LET'S GO!" roared Natsu as he ripped off his coat.

The legion let out a shriek as if it understood what was in our hearts as it kept flying as fast as it could. The two floating islands grew bigger and bigger as we grew close and the gap between them was rapidly shrinking. I braced for impact as the legion charged at the island head-on until finally, it slammed its head into the lacrima with a booming thud. The beast may have been big in size, but the lacrima was larger and with its current speed only pushed the legion back.

"Give it everything you got!" yelled Coco.

The legion let out a struggling wail as it tried its best to stop the lacrima, but the lacrima kept on moving. Wind from the force of the momentum buffeted us as Extalia loomed closer and closer from behind.

"This isn't working!" Gray yelled. "This thing's got too much mass and momentum!"

"We can't give up now!" Erza spoke loudly. "If we fall, then we'll fall with Magnolia!"

"Then let's use our magic to stop this thing!" I yelled. "If we unleash it all at once, maybe it'll stop!"

"Come on! Please stop!" begged Lucy. "You gotta! We have to save our friends no matter what!"

Natsu then ran forward towards the legions head with a mighty yell, he slammed his hands on the surface of the lacrima summoning forth an orange magic circle and pushed on it helping the legion push.

"Come on! Stop you bastard!" he growled as he pushed with all of his might.

Not wanting to be left out, the rest of us joined in and pushed against the speeding lacrima as well. I ran forward and let out a yell as I slammed my hands on the surface next to Natsu. I summoned forth a magic circle from my hands as well and my water wings sprouted forth from my back. The momentum was overwhelming and it felt very strong, but I wasn't going to back down and neither was Natsu. Just then a familiar voice called out from above.

"Natsu!"

We both looked up and we saw Happy swooping down towards us. He then came to stop just above us looking to be very worried and conflicted about something.

"I'm... I'm sorry..." he mumbled trying to find the words. "I... I didn't mean too..."

Natsu simply looked at his blue cat friend and flashed a toothy smile. "Come on buddy. Give me a hand would ya?" he said.

Happy was surprised, but then that surprise was replaced with a smile. "AYE SIR!" he yelled as he swooped down and slammed his paws on the surface and began pushing too. I couldn't help but smile at what had just happened, but I quickly refocused and I resumed pushing with all of my strength. We tried our best and pushed and pushed, but the lacrima kept on going. Suddenly, I heard a booming noise causing me to turn around I could see the surface of Extalia right behind us rapidly growing closer and closer as the surface of Extalia began to crumble.

"Oh crap! They're gonna collide!" I heard Gray yell.

"Endure it!" Erza yelled back. "Give it everything you got!"

"IT'S NOT GONNA END THIS WAY!" roared Natsu as he pushed giving it everything he had.

Then the lacrima finally collided with Extalia with a mighty boom making us feel tremors all around. Luckily, the impact didn't destroy Extalia, but we were now between a rock and a hard place. Literally. However, we weren't giving up. I placed my feet against the wall behind me and with a yell began to push with all my strength. Above me, Natsu was holding the lacrima with his legs as well pushing just as hard letting another loud yell.

"Don't give up!" he screamed. "We can still push this thing back!"

"Aye, sir!" Happy yelled as he pushed with all the strength his tiny body could muster.

"Gajeel?! What are you doing down here?!" I heard Erza exclaim. "You should be using your magic to turn the others back to normal! Get back up there!"

"Give me a freaking back! That black cat's in the way!" Gajeel yelled back at her. "If you wanna deal with that fuzzball, then be my guest!"

"Never mind all of that now!" Gray shouted. "We don't have time to worry about the lacrima or the cat! Just push!"

"We gotta stop this thing! Or everyone we know and love will die!" screamed Lucy.

Then a figure stood above us revealing to be the black cat that Gajeel was talking about. He surprised to see us pushing, but he was more surprised to see Coco.

"Coco!" he exclaimed. "What are you doing down there?!"

Coco looked up and was relieved upon seeing the black cat. "Lily! You're still alive! I'm so relieved," she said. "And I've come to realize that I don't need magic power anymore. Who needs that when you can have eternal smiles instead?"

"What kind of nonsense is that?!" roared Lily. "You have to get out of there Coco! No matter what they do, these people can't stop Extalia's destruction!"

"Don't be too sure!" Natsu growled loudly. "We'll stop this thing for sure! If there's one thing we Fairy Tail wizard's prove is that nothing's impossible!"

"Aye, aye sir!" agreed Happy.

"That's right!" I yelled out. "If it's one thing I've learned, is that impossible isn't in Fairy Tail's dictionary! We won't give up, even with the odds stacked against us!"

As I kept on pushing against the weight of the lacrima, I could feel my arm and legs growing weaker and feel like jelly, but I didn't care. I had to keep pushing. I had to do what I could to help save Magnolia and Fairy Tail.

I then closed my eyes tightly trying to summon up more strength to push, but then in my mind, I began to see the inside of the Fairy Tail guild hall. I could see everything and everyone happening within it. Natsu, Gray, and the others and even Mira and Elfman all smiling and having a good time. I also could see my village back at Nomekop and everyone that lived there including my Mama and Papa.

I could see both of them smiling at me and reassuring me at that I can do this. I can get through this trial I'm under.

The two then stepped aside and three people stepped forward revealing themselves to be Mira, Elfman, and Makarov. Mira and Elfman smiled at me while Makarov smiled kindly.

That alone made my eyes water and adrenaline surge through my body giving me new strength.

"NO! NOT LIKE THIS!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. "FAIRY TAIL IS MY FAMILY AND MAGNOLIA IS MY HOME! I LOST MY FAMILY AND MY HOME ONCE, I'M NOT GONNA LOSE THEM AGAIN!"

Water surged through my legs and I used my Aqua Jet to push even harder against the lacrima.

"It's getting a bit tight in here guys!" Lucy cried. "I don't know if I can keep this up!"

"Just keep pushing guys!" yelled Gray. "We can do this!"

"Use every ounce of magic you have left!" encouraged Erza.

"We can do this, guys!" I yelled. "Don't quit! It's not over till its over!"

Just then someone came swooping down towards us and hit the surface of the wall next to Happy. It was Carla who was now pushing on the surface of the lacrima with all of her strength.

Happy's little eyes widened in shock. "Carla! it's you!" he gasped. "What are you doing here?!"

"I'm not giving up!" replied Carla. "I'll protect Fairy Tail and Extalia! I won't stand by and watch my homes being destroyed!"

At that moment, a yelling voice was heard and someone else slammed into the surface next Carla pushing with all of its might. It was a tall black Exceed with wings.

"What are you doing here?!" gasped a surprised Carla.

"Because I want to protect my home as well!" the black Exceed replied with gritted teeth. "Your courage... has inspired me!"

I stared at the Exceed wondering where he came from and how he knew Carla, but then I turned my attention towards the sky and my eyes widened in shock and amazement. In the sky, numerous trails of light came flying and were heading straight towards us. It didn't take me long to see that the light turned out to be multiple Exceeds. Among them was Wendy who was being carried to us by another Exceed. A wide smile crept across my face.

"Hey, guys! It's Wendy!" I cried joyfully. "And it looks like she brought the cavalry!"

"I don't believe it..." I heard Carla whisper. "They all came..."

"Alright, everyone!" Wendy yelled. "Get ready to push with all of your might!"

Every single Exceed let out a loud meow in response. Then one by one, Exceed by Exceed, they all slammed against the surface of the lacrima pushing with all their might and strength. The lacrima was now beginning to a lot less weightful now that there were multiple being helping to save not only Magnolia but Extalia as well.

"Just keep pushing!" Natsu roared out.

"This won't be the end of Fairy Tail or Extalia!" Gray yelled out.

"Quitting is not an option! Not for Fairy Tail!" Erza encouraged.

"We will stop it! No matter what the cost!" Lucy cried defiantly.

"That's right!" I yelled. "Because we're Fairy Tail! And Fairy Tail never quits! Not when our lives and friends are on the line!"

A bright green light then shone forth from the surface of the lacrima as everyone combined their magic power to push the lacrima back. The pressure grew less and less as everyone let out a yell of defiance and encouragement.

"This is it!" yelled Wendy. "GIVE IT YOUR ALL!"

I poured every bit of my strength and my magic letting out a loud yell along with everyone else. Then miraculously, the lacrima began to push away from Extalia until it was completely away from the island. Suddenly the lacrima along with the Dragon Chain was enveloped with a white light emitting a powerful force of wind. The wind blew so strongly that everyone that was pushing was immediately blown off of the lacrima. I was buffeted all around by the wind disoriented, but I spread my water wings and then flew up into the air righting myself.

The light continued to glow brightly and slowly began to die down until it faded away completely. When I could see again, I could see that Natsu and the others were flying in the air thanks to a couple of Exceeds grabbing a hold of them. I then took notice of the lacrima island that we repelled. It was now nothing, but a shell of rock floating by the dragon chain. Then the rock along with the chain began to glow as they slowly began to fade away until there was nothing left.

No one said a word not understanding what had just happened. At last, Wendy broke the silence.

"Did... did we do it?" the sky dragon slayer asked.

"I... I don't know," spoke Erza quietly. "But... the lacrima... it's gone."

"It just disappeared," spoke Gray. "Does... that mean..."

"What happened to our friends?" wondered Lucy. "Are... are they..."

My heart was now hammering into my chest fearing the worst. But then...

"No need to worry," said a voice. "They're all safe and sound."

Everyone immediately looked up above where the voice was coming from and we saw a large white legion flying towards us. Standing on top of the legion was Mystogan.

"Mystogan!" exclaimed Erza.

"Sorry for the delay, but my search for a larger Anima vestige to restore everything took longer than I thought," he explained. "However, I wouldn't have been able to make it in time if it wasn't for all of you. You have my thanks."

"So... so does this mean... that..." Happy began a hint of joy in his voice.

Mystogan took off his mask and beanie and smiled at the blue Exceed. "Yes. Everyone is back to normal," spoke Mytsogan. "By passing through the Anima again, the lacrima will return to its original form in Earth Land. It's finally over."

There was another long silence. Then all of the Exceeds erupted with a chorus of cheers. I especially felt so happy that I let out a scream of joy.

Mystogan then looked towards Lily and smiled kindly at him. "Lily, long ago you saved my life and I'm glad I could return that favor today," he said.

Lily who was now crying tears of joy looked at Mystogan and bowed respectfully. "Yes, and I can't even begin to thank you enough... my dear prince."

Coco who was also crying joyfully was all smiles. "I don't believe it," she wept joyfully. "Our long-lost prince has returned home at last."

Me along with the other Fairy Tail wizards looked at Mystogan in shock.

"He's a what now?!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Oh man. As if he wasn't mysterious enough," I said. "Now I've got even more questions about this guy."

As Lily and Mystogan looked at each other smiling and reveling in their victory and moment, there came trouble. Before Lily had a chance to react, something blasted right through his midsection making him cry in agony and pain. Everyone gasped in horror as Lily fell helpless towards the ground badly wounded.

"No! Black cat!" cried Gajeel.

"LILY!" Mystogan yelled.

I quickly looked into the distance where the blast came from and I saw a squad of legions flying towards us. In front riding on her own legion with her spear that was smoking having to have recently been fired was the counterpart of a certain red-headed woman. She was now wearing nothing, but a leotard and had her hair cut short and her face was filled with vengence and boiling anger.

"Damn it! We got company!" I yelled. "And it's not the good kind!"

* * *

 _Magnolia and its people are safe, but now there's Knightwalker and the Royal Army to deal with!_

 _If you liked what you read or want to give me some pointers, feel free to review and PM me!_

 _Dragoman out!_


	79. Chapter 79 The Dorma Anim

_Here we got another chapter! Enjoy!  
_

* * *

Chapter 79

The Dorma Anim

Everyone was immediately on guard when we all saw the army of Edolas coming towards us. As they grew closer, we recognized the woman that hurt Lily was none other than Knightwalker herself. Here I was thinking that everything was settled and done and then this was happening.

As Knightwalker and her army came towards us, she happened to look down towards Lily as his seemingly lifeless body plummeted to the ground.

"How pathetic of you, Lily. You were once a proud captain, but now you're nothing but a traitor. A lousy Fallen who's not even a noble Exceed," she spat in a disgusted tone. "To think that you would forget your debt to our king and dare betray his orders and pointing your sword at him."

"Damn! It's the Edolas Erza!" exclaimed Natsu.

"The one called Knightwalker!" added Happy.

"Lily!" cried Coco from on top of her legion.

"That dumb broad!" growled Gajeel balling up his fists in anger. "She's gonna pay for hurting my cat!"

This made me a bit confused when Gajeel claimed Lily to be his cat making me glance towards, but my attention went back towards Knightwalker as she looked towards straight at her Earth Land counterpart, Scarlet. "We're not done here, Scarlet!" she roared with fury. "You may have gotten the upper hand when we fought, but I'll personally see to it that I put you into the dirt! Permenately!"

"Knightwalker..." murmured Erza as she seemed to be surprised and at the same time unnerved at her counterpart's current state as she was being carried by an Exceed who was struggling in carrying her.

Then I noticed a small Exceed flying towards where Lily was hoping to help him. I for one felt a bit worried about the poor Exceed myself and was planning to swoop down and help him, but then Mystogan raised his hand.

"Hold on a minute," he said addressing me and Erza. "Let me handle this." He then spoke importantly to Knightwalker. "Captain Knightwalker, I've had enough of your insolence. How dare you point your blade at me, The Royal Prince of Edolas?"

"The prince?" gasped Erza in confusion.

"So I guess Coco and Lily weren't kidding," I said.

Knightwalker glared at Mytsogan seething in anger as her hand tightened around her spear. A moment passed with no one making a sound. Then the sound of laughter could be heard echoing all around us.

" ** _You, The Royal Prince of Edolas?_** " mocked the voice. " ** _Don't make me laugh! You don't deserve that title! I don't even consider you a son at all!_** "

"That's the king's voice!" said Coco. "I'm sure of it!"

"If that's true, then where the heck is he?!" wondered Lucy.

" _ **You have some nerve, running off for seven years and then come waltzing back here as if nothing had ever happened**_ ," went on Faust. " _ **Do you take me for a fool? I know that you've been in Earth Land sealing all of my Animas, you traitor. And like all other traitors, you must be punished for your actions! You practically signed for your death warrant!**_ "

"Where's that voice coming from?" wondered Wendy as she looked around.

"I don't know, but he certainly sounds rather cross," said Carla.

"Willy. Can't you use your Aqua Sense to find out where he is?" asked Gray.

"I wish I could, but I can't," I said. "I can't use it in the air. I can only do it when I'm on the ground. And even if I could fly down, Knightwalker and her soldiers will shoot me down."

"C'mon! Show yourself bucko!" called out Natsu.

"Yeah! Come out and face us!" added Happy.

"Natsu! Happy! This isn't the time to be picking a fight!" I scolded.

"Your Anima plan has failed, Father," called out Mystogan. "Please surrender peacefully. You have no reason to fight anymore."

" _ **A reason? How ridiculous!**_ " scoffed Faust. " ** _Who says that I need a reason to fight?_** "

Then I took notice of something in the corner of my eye. I looked towards what looked like an abandoned ruin of a colosseum and saw a large green-yellow glow coming from the ground.

"Guys! Look down there!" I spoke pointing towards the glow.

Everyone else turned seeing the glow, as well as a rumbling sound, could be heard. Not only that, but I started to feel a strong magic presence coming from that glow and I wasn't even using my Aqua Sense.

"Do you guys hear that?" Gray asked a bit nervous. "It sounds like it's coming from underground."

"And you feel that magic power building up? It's making even the air shudder," squeaked Lucy.

The air and the ground continued to shudder as the magic power continued to build making me feel a bit nervous. Then from the ground where the glow was coming from, something began to emerge from it.

" _ **This isn't just a simple fight...**_ " Faust continued. " _ **This... is retribution! The extermination and destruction of all those who dare oppose their king!**_ "

A large strange oval-like then fully emerged from the glow in the ground fully revealing itself. It was shaped like an egg, metallic, and white silver in color, and had six lines of chains on it strapping it to the ground.

"Just what is that thing?" asked Lucy worry and fear in her tone.

"I don't know," said Gray looked just as uneasy. "Some kind of magic weapon?"

The strange metallic egg began to float from the ground into the air and the six chains that held it all snapped breaking one by one.

" _ **Since you and your meddlesome friends insist on standing in my way**_ ," ranted on Faust. " _ **I have no choice, but to obliterate each and every one of you! No matter who or what you are!**_ "

"Father, please!" begged Mystogan. "I'm begging you to stop this madness!"

" _ **I'm not your father**_ ," Faust answered. " _ **I am the king of Edolas! And once I dispose of all of you here and now, I'll no longer have to worry about you sealing my Animas in Earth Land and I'll be free to create another giant lacrima and fuse it with the Exceeds! Limitless magic power will be mine!**_ "

At that moment, the egg began to glow in a white color and began to open up like a flower blooming. Its true form was revealed and what I saw made my eyes widen in shock and slight amazement, for the egg had transformed into what appeared to be a mechanical dragon. It stood on two legs and had giant and long arms with its eyes glowing red.

" _ **Try as you might, but there's no stopping me!**_ " howled Faust with glee. " _ **I AM THE KING! MY POWER IS ABSOLUTE!**_ "

The mechanical dragon then let out a fierce and booming roar causing the ground and the air to shake from its terrifying presence.

"What the heck is that thing?!" I exclaimed repeating Lucy. "Is it some kind of machine?"

"That's the Dorma Anim," spoke Mystogan an uneasy face crossing his features.

I looked back at the blue-haired boy. "Dorma Anim?" I repeated. "Is that what that thing is?"

"Yes. From our old language, it means Dragon Knight," explained Mystogan. "It's enhanced dragon armor."

"So... it basically _is_ a dragon?" asked Natsu incredulously.

"It certainly looks like one," commented Happy.

"So... is it basically magic armor?" puzzled Wendy.

"If it is, it's unlike anything I've ever seen before," said Carla. "But what does that involve I wonder?"

"It's an enhanced rideable magic armor made from an anti-magic lacrima called Wizard Canceller just like the doors to the Dragon Chain Cannon's room," explained Coco. "It's bad news for us because it nullifies all external magic cast at it. Our attacks won't even touch him! And to add to that, the king's gotta be inside of that thing, so he can control its every move."

The Dorma Anim turned its head towards us and opened its metal jaw making a large cannon come forth from it.

" _ **As your king, I order you to capture the Exceeds at once!**_ " commanded Faust from inside the metallic beast. " _ **Make sure none of them escape!**_ "

"Yes, sir!" yelled the soldiers.

The soldiers then charged with their legions heading straight towards the Exceeds. They were all carrying strange looking cannons connected to backpacks. Seeing what their true intentions were, I was about to move to try and stop them. But then a voice was heard.

"STOP! STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!"

Everyone immediately stopped and looked to our left where the voice was coming from. Flying towards us was another legion, but who was on made my eyes widen in surprise. It was none other than my Edolas counterpart. With her legion, she flew right in between the soldiers and us and barred their way.

Knightwalker took one look at who it was and her eyes widened in shock. "What?! What is she doing here?!" she exclaimed.

"Kuromen? You've survived," said Faust.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't get here sooner, Your Majesty," Edolas Me said. "I had some trouble, but I'm here now. That's all that matters."

"Who the heck is that?" wondered Lucy. "Is she another captain?"

"I don't know..." spoke Gray. "I've never seen her before."

"Hold a second," said Natsu. "Doesn't she... look familiar?"

"Yes. She does," said Happy. "She kinda... reminds me of..."

"She's my Edolas counterpart," I spoke interrupting him. "She may be a female, but she's me."

Natsu and the others then looked at me in surprise.

"You've got to be kidding me!" exclaimed Lucy. "She's the Edolas you?!"

The soldiers then began to murmur with each other looking shocked to see my Edolas self.

"No way! That's Captain Kuromen?!"

"He's... he's female!"

"And she looks so beaten up! What the heck happened to her?!"

Edolas Me seemed to ignore all the comments that were spoken about her keeping her eyes focused on the Dorma Anim.

" _ **So what brings you here, Kuromen?**_ " asked Faust now seeming to be a bit calmer. "And what happened to your armor and your sword?"

I then felt my body tense up. What was my Edolas Self doing here? Was she out of revenge or something? If she was, then I probably made a mistake of leaving her alive. But my Edolas Self remained still as she stood on her legion looking down at the mechanical dragon.

"I'm sorry to say my king, but... I was defeated in battle," spoke Edolas Me. "My armor and my sword have been completely destroyed by... an Earth Lander who was stronger than me." She gave me a small sideways glance before turning back to her king. "As for the reason I came here, it is for one reason. To confirm something."

" _ **Confirm what exactly?**_ " asked Faust sounding a bit impatient yet confused.

"To confirm if what you said just now was true," went on Edolas Me. "Your true intentions for these Exceeds and for what you're planning. Do you truly intend to use them the Animas to grant limitless magic power?"

" _ **I thought it would be obvious**_ ," said Faust. " _ **Of course that's what my intentions are. In order for this kingdom to prosper, I need all the magic power I can get so that Edolas will forevermore have limitless magic power!**_ "

"Even if it means taking innocent lives?" asked Edolas Me. "Even if it means destroying everything and everyone in your path? Including your own allies?"

" _ **If that's what it takes, then yes!**_ " said Faust now returning to his mad with power demeanor. " _ **I will do whatever it takes as long as I can have limitless magic power! All those who oppose are my enemies and will be dealt with swiftly! Now... I'm sure that I've wasted enough time talking to you considering that you're now nothing more than a helpless girl without your weapons and armor, so I want you to leave now while I destroy these fools.**_ "

"Your Majesty, please. Why would you need to waste your time with the Exceeds?" asked Edolas Me. "There's no sense in taking lives anymore. It's over. We should stop this violence and end this peacefully."

I raised a brow feeling confused at what my Edolas Self was saying. Was she trying to convince Faust to stop? If she was, something was telling me that Faust wasn't the type of foe to be reasoned with.

" _ **It's over when I say its over!**_ " roared Faust. " _ **What gives you the right to tell me what I can or can't do?! That's the epitome of questioning my authority!**_ "

"It's not a matter of authority that I'm questioning," spoke Edolas Me clenching her hands. "It's a matter of questioning your objectivity!"

The soldiers all gasped. Even Knightwalker had her eyes wide with shock. Natsu, me, and the other Earth Landers were also a bit surprised for what the Edolas Me said.

"Kuromen! What are you doing?!" Knightwalker demanded in a hushed whisper. "Stand down! You're out of line!"

Edolas Me ignored Knightwalker as she stood bravely on her legion not backing down. Faust growled at Edolas Me seeming to boil in anger.

" ** _Now you listen to me, Kuromen. I've always considered you like a daughter ever since I found you as a child_** ," he spoke. " ** _I took you in, raised you, and made your dream of being a samurai a reality and you dare disrespect me?! Have you not forgotten everything I've done for you?! Has your pledge of loyalty to me been nothing more than a lie?!_** "

Edolas Me was now clenching her hands tighter as she bit her lip looking down seeming to tremble in shame. To me, she looked like she was about to cry from Faust's words making me feel a bit sorry for her. All she was doing was trying to reason with her Father hoping to stop him from doing something horrible.

" _ **You have disgraced yourself as well The Royal Army and me with your presence and your words. The only way you can redeem yourself is by obeying this simple order**_ ," went on Faust. " _ **You are to join Knightwalker and her squad in capturing the Exceeds and killing those foolish Earth Landers of which I would take great pleasure of wiping off of my kingdom! IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?!**_ "

Everyone looked at my Edolas self as she stood there trembling not saying a word. A few moments passed and then Edolas Me looked back towards the Dorma Anim her eyes welling up with tears and said these words.

"I'm sorry, Father. Please forgive me, but... I can't obey that order!" she said. "I haven't forgotten everything that you've done for me and I have served you faithfully over these past few years and appreciate that, but I can't do it. I may be a proud samurai that has been disgraced to you, but even I can see that you've gone mad with power just as my Earth Land counterpart was trying to tell me." She then pointed an accusing an angry finger at the Dorm Anim. "And for that matter, the one that has brought shame and disgrace to this kingdom is you! You power driven old fool!"

All of the soldiers as well as Knightwalker all stared at my Edolas Self horrified and petrified for what she just said. I, however, couldn't help but grin from cheek to cheek.

"Holy crap," murmured Lucy who was just as stunned.

"Did she really just insult the king?!" gasped Coco who clasped her hands over her mouth.

"She sure did," I said laughing "That's the way to tell him, Edolas Me!"

"Yeah! Tell that old man how it is, Female Willy!" Natsu cheered.

"Aye, sir!" agreed Happy.

Faust was now furious. "Y _ **ou dare insult me, you wretched girl?!**_ " he roared. " ** _That's nothing short of treason! For your insolence and betrayal, you shall join the Exceeds and Earth Lander's in their fate!" He then looked at Knightwalker and his soldiers. "Don't just sit there! Get them! Make sure they're all lacrimas including that traitorous samurai! Anyone else who decides to betray me shall join those fools! So I decree as your king!_** "

"Yes, sir!" spoke the soldiers.

They then resumed their charge towards us charging their guns and preparing to fire.

"Quickly! Fly for your lives!" Mystogan yelled at the Exceeds.

The Exceeds obeyed everyone one of them panicking with terror as they flew as fast as they could trying to get away from Knightwalker and her soldiers. However, they weren't about to let them escape.

"Don't let them get away!" commanded Kngithwalker having to have recovered from her previous shock. "You heard the king! Capture all of the Exceeds!"

"Magicalizing cannons!" one soldier said taking aim with his weapon. "Charged and ready! And... fire!"

All of the soldiers then began firing their cannons shooting blue beams towards the flying cats. Whichever Exceed got hit with their beams automatically turned into a cute lacrima in the shape of a cat's head and fell to the ground below. The air was filled with the sounds of screaming Exceeds as they were turned into lacrimas one by one. As I looked around trying to see what I could do to help, I then took notice of Edolas Me who was flying her legion towards Knightwalker.

"Wait! Edolas Me! What are you doing?!" I yelled.

"I have to stop Knightwalker!" Edolas Me called back. "I may not have a sword or my armor, but I have to help these Exceeds! I can't just sit by and do nothing!" She then placed a hand on her legion. "Let's go Legion!" she commanded.

The legion let out a roar in response as it flew towards where Knightwalker and the others were. I was about to give chase to try and stop her, but then I saw something that made my eyes widen. The Dorma Anim's cannon from its mouth was beginning to glow as it charged with power aiming right towards Edolas Me and her legion.

" ** _It's time you learned your place, girl!_** " Faust yelled. " _ **I teach you to defy and insult me!**_ "

I immediately pumped my wings and used my Aqua Jet and shot forward towards Edolas Me as the mechanical beast fired its cannon unleashing a powerful beam of white light.

"Edolas Me! LOOK OUT!" I yelled.

My Edolas Self looked down as she saw the blast coming. I knew that there wouldn't be time to dodge, so there was only one thing I could do. Before the blast could hit, I swooped by and scooped up Edolas Me in my arms just as the blast hit the legion. The legion screeched in agony as it was hit by the blast and fell towards the ground below.

Edolas Me was stunned for what just happened. Then she looked up at me seeing as I was the one that saved her.

"You... you saved me," she said.

"Just hang on!" I spoke. "Things are gonna get a little bumpy."

I curved turning myself around until I saw Coco's legion insight where Natsu and the others took cover. I flew towards the others dodging the cannon fire until I finally landed on the legion's back dispersing my wings.

"Are you two okay?" asked Lucy.

"Yes. Just about," I replied. "But that was too close for comfort. A few seconds later and we both could have turned into lacrimas." I looked back towards the insanity that was transpiring between the Exceeds and the soldiers. I then looked at Edolas Me to see if she was unharmed, but I saw that she had her head hung low her hair hiding her face from view.

"What's wrong?" I asked. "Are you hurt?"

She then looked up at me and I saw that her eyes were streaming with tears.

"I'm so sorry. You were right. He has gone mad with power," she sobbed. "I didn't want to believe it... and I tried my best to reason with him, but... he... he... went as far as to attack me..."

I placed a reassuring her shoulder. "It's OK. You tried your best," I said. "At least you tried to reason with him. But at this rate, every single Exceed is gonna end up as a lacrima. What should we do?"

"Whatever we can to help," replied Erza. "In the meantime, all of you try your best protect the Exceeds from The Royal Army while I try to take down Knightwalker."

"You got it," nodded Lucy. Then she happened to take notice of Natsu who was holding onto the legion's backside trying not to fall off. "Come to think of it, I'm surprised that you're able to ride this legion without getting sick, Natsu," she said. "Did you have Wendy cast a Troia spell to help with your sickness?"

"As if! How could I be nauseous when this thing isn't even a vehicle?!" Natsu said sounding offended. "This thing's lending us a hand and is our ally. How cruel can you get?"

"Well excuse me," sighed Lucy in resignation. "Then again its been a while since we've had an exchange like this..."

"Enough with the chatter, you losers!" Gray snapped. "We've gotta do something about that monster!"

"I wouldn't go near that thing if I were you," spoke Coco. "Your magic will be useless against it."

"Then we'll just have to dodge its attacks," said Mystogan. "We must do what we can to protect the Exceeds. They're completely defenseless right now."

The Dorma Anim then turned towards us with Faust's chuckling evilly. " _ **You think that you can dodge me? We shall see**_ ," he said as the cannon in his armor's mouth began to charge up once again. " ** _I will obliterate anyone who gets in my way! I won't let a single human or Exceed escape my wrath! NOW BEGONE!_** "

The cannon then fired unleashing another powerful beam of white light straight towards us. We braced for impact thinking that the blast was going to hit us, but at the last moment, Mystogan using his legion and the stakes on his back blocked the attack summoning a magic circle as he did.

"Mystogan!" Erza cried worriedly.

" _ **Mystogan? Don't tell me that's the name you've chosen to be called in Earth Land**_ ," Faust scowled crossly. " _ **You're real name is Jellal!**_ "

"It doesn't matter who I am! The only thing that matters is stopping you from harming anyone else!" countered Mystogan. Then he looked back towards us. "You all need to leave now while you still can!"

"But what about you?!" I yelled out.

"Forget about me!" Mystogan yelled back. "Just go! Now!"

"Will he really be OK?" asked Coco worriedly.

"Don't worry. He's got this," spoke Natsu.

Jellal then waved his arms making some movements and made two more magic circles, one red and one light blue appeared on either side of the purple magic circle that was absorbing the blast from the Domra Anim.

"THREE LAYERED MAGIC CIRCLE MIRROR WATER!"

The blast from the Dorma Anim was absorbed into the magic circles and then redirected back towards it. Before the mechanical beast had a chance to defend, the redirected blast connected head on engulfing it in a giant explosion.

"No way," gasped my Edolas Self with amazement. "He was able to reflect the blast and send it back at him?!"

"I had no idea that he was so powerful, even without magic," spoke Lucy who was just as amazed.

"Well he isn't an S class wizard for nothing," I said.

"But did that get him?" wondered Gray.

His answer came sooner than expected. As the dust and smoke from the explosion pulled clear, the Dorma Anim could be seen still standing without having so much as a single scratch on it much to our shock.

" _ **Goodness me. That tickled**_ ," Faust spoke in a mocking tone. " _ **Was that supposed to hurt?**_ "

"Whoa. There's not even a single scratch on it!" exclaimed Natsu.

"No way," murmured Lucy. "You've got to be kidding."

"That's freaking crazy!" cried Gray. "Just how strong is that damned thing?!"

" _ **Behold! This is the power of the great Wizard Canceler!**_ " Faust spoke out. " _ **Struggle all you want you measly wizards, attack with all of your might, but it will not stop me! The Dorma Anim is impervious to all forms of magic!**_ "

The Dorma Anim then unleashed another powerful blast aiming for Mystogan. This time the blast hit right on the mark as he along with his legion were blasted and Mystogan was knocked right off of his legion yelling in pain as he fell to the ground below.

"No! Mystogan!" cried Erza.

Faust laughed with triumph. "The mighty prince has fallen! I'm sure he'll feel right at home crawling along the ground with the other pests."

"You're gonna pay for that old man!" Gray yelled in anger as he put his right fist into his left palm preparing to use his magic. "ICE MAKE LANCE-"

But before he could cast his spell, the Dorma Anim unleashed another powerful at the legion we were riding on forcing the beast to dodge. Gray faltered and almost fell, but he quickly caught himself.

"Man! Talk about a rough ride," he said.

"No kidding," said Lucy. "It'd make anyone sick. Not just Natsu."

The Dorma Anim continued to fire its beam as us trying to shoot us down just like it did with Mystogan. Coco's legion managed to dodge the attacks, but it was only a matter of time before we would be hit. I looked around racking my brain trying to figure out what to do. There had to be something. That Dorma Anim looked pretty much unstoppable and not even Mystogan could stop that thing. But every unstoppable thing had to have a weakness of sorts. We just haven't found it.

Then I took notice of someone missing from our group. A certain fire dragon wizard. I looked around and I happened to look down towards the ground. I then took notice of Natsu who was far below on the ground head towards the Dorma Anim. I then realized what he had in mind and it wasn't just him that was down there. Gajeel was by his side too as was Wendy. This then made me understand what they had in mind and what I should do.

I then turned toward Edolas Me and placed my hand on her shoulder making her turn her attention towards me.

"Edolas Me," I spoke in a tone so only she could hear me. "I need you to stay here with the others where it's safe."

"Wait... where are you going to go at a time like this?!" asked Edolas Me.

I then smirked at Edolas Me. "I'm gonna go dragon hunting," I said as I spread my wings and then swooped down dive-bombing towards the Dorma Anim.

* * *

 **NO POV**

"Damn it! This sucks!" complained Gray. "How're we supposed while dodging this thing!"

"I don't know," said Lucy. "But we have to do something! We can't keep this up forever!"

"I have an idea!" suggested Happy. "Let's use Lucy as a decoy and distract the dragon thingy!"

"Shut your face fish-breath!" Lucy snapped.

"Now, now. This isn't the time to get side-tracked," spoke Carla. Then she noticed something causing her to look around on the legion. "Wait a minute... has anyone noticed that we're missing a few people?"

Before anyone could answer, there was a mighty explosion as a familiar fiery force hit the Dorma Anim right smack on the back of its neck. Then another attack slammed the Dorma Anim in the sternum of its chest thanks to a large and long iron rod.

"What?! Who's attacking?!" demanded Faust in confusion and shock. "I don't understand! The Dorma Anim shouldn't be affected by magic attacks!"

Just then a certain long blunette came flying in from above just above the Dorma Anim's blind spot puffing up her cheeks.

"SKY DRAGON ROAR!"

She then unleashed a powerful breath attack sending the Dorma Anim skidding along the ground until it came to a stop.

"You little brat!" growled Faust as he regained himself.

Then another person came swooping down from air conjuring up a pair of swords and aiming them at the Dorma Anim.

"WATER DRAGON DOUBLE BLADES!"

The person gave his swords a mighty swipe both connecting right at the Dorma Anim's back causing the mechanical beast to stumble and fall onto one knee.

"Damn it all!" growled Faust now becoming livid. "Who the hell keeps attacking me?!"

The Dorma Anim turned around towards the other end of the colosseum and saw his attackers. There standing before him was Natsu, Gajeel, Wendy, and Willy standing bravely before him ready for a fight.

"Pretty impressive job, Wendy," grinned Natsu as he cracked his knuckles. "You too Willy."

"Thank you very much, Natsu," said Wendy. "But you three can inflict much more damage than I can."

"Hope you're ready old man," growled Gajeel. "Because you're gonna pay for going after my cat."

"And for going after Edolas Me," added Willy glaring. "Hope you're ready because we're gonna beat you like a drum!"

Faust then glared from inside the Dorma Anim. "So it was you lot. I should've known."

Everyone from on top of Coco's legion looked down and saw the dragon slayers standing in front of Faust and were surprised.

"Natsu!" exclaimed Happy.

"Please be careful, Wendy," called Carla.

"You too, Gajeel and Willy!" called out Lucy. "You can do it!"

"Get going, We're good," Natsu spoke. "Just keep the cats safe. We got this."

Edolas Willy stared at the four dragon slayers standing bravely before the Dorma Anim. They were actually standing up to the Dorma Anim about to fight it. She was worried about her Father's safety even though he had tried to hurt her, but at the same time, she wanted to help him even though she was powerless. But however much she wanted to help, all she could do was stay on the sidelines and leave it up to her Earth Land counterpart.

She came close to the edge of the legion and cupped her hands to her mouth making sure that she was heard.

"Willy! Please stop my Father!" she called. "I know he's committed many atrocities, but he's still my Father! Please do what you can to stop and save him!"

Willy remained silent for a moment. Then he gave her a thumbs up without looking at her.

"I'll do my best!" he called back. "Just leave to us!"

Edolas Willy then stared at Earth Land Willy and her eyes filled with tears of emotion. Erza paused staring at the dragon slayers until she gave Natsu a nod.

"In that case, we'll leave it to you," said Erza. "Just make sure to win."

Lucy then glanced towards Erza with worry. "Are you sure they're gonna be able to handle that thing by themselves?" she asked.

"Don't be ridiculous. Of course, they can," spoke Gray with confidence as the legion flew away from the battlefield. "Who better to fight a dragon than those who were trained to defeat them? They're the only ones who stand a chance of defeating that thing. They're the dragon-hunting wizards known as... the dragon slayers."

* * *

 _I felt a iffy writing this chapter, but another chapter finished!_

 _If you liked what you read or you want to give me some tips, feel free to PM or leave a review!_

 _The showdown between the dragon slayers and Faust is about to begin!_

 _Until then as always... Dragoman out!_


End file.
